NEW YORK: The documentary NAZA, which has sparked intense controversy in Israel over its portrayal of Israeli military operations in Gaza, has received its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival.
Directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the film features interviews with 24 anonymous Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers. According to the filmmakers, their testimonies examine the systems used to select targets and conduct airstrikes in Gaza.
The interviews were recorded anonymously over a three-year period, with the film drawing on investigative reporting previously published by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call between 2023 and 2025.
Speaking after the New York screening, Abraham and Szor defended the use of anonymous sources, saying confidentiality was necessary to protect people involved in exposing information about ongoing military operations.
The premiere also drew protesters outside the Lincoln Center. Some demonstrators carried Israeli flags and signs referring to the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, while one vehicle displayed messages describing the documentary as propaganda.
Abraham responded to criticism by saying the October 7 attacks were unjustified but arguing that, in his view, they could not be used to justify the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. His comments reflected the filmmakers’ stated position rather than an independent finding about the allegations presented in the film.
NAZA previously premiered at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Prize. The film is scheduled to begin its US theatrical release at New York’s IFC Center on September 30 before expanding to Los Angeles and other markets.