Israeli Whistleblowers Detail AI-Targeted Strikes in Gaza Documentary

Israeli Military Personnel Break Silence on Gaza Operations

Twenty-four Israeli military intelligence officers and soldiers have provided anonymous testimony for NAZA, a documentary examining Israel's military operations in Gaza that won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. The film, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, was shot covertly on Tel Aviv rooftops with participants filmed in silhouette and voices digitally altered.

The whistleblowers describe operational details of what they characterize as systematic targeting protocols that resulted in extensive civilian casualties. One participant stated he concealed his identity because "Israel will put me in jail for what I expose."

The Lavender AI System

Central to the documentary's revelations is testimony about an artificial intelligence system called Lavender, which sources claim generated up to 70,000 human targets. The existence of this program was first reported by +972 Magazine and Local Call, with additional coverage by The Guardian, which served as a producer on the film.

According to interviewed personnel, Israeli military intelligence deliberately chose to strike residential targets at night, calculating that suspected Hamas operatives would more likely be home with their families. Multiple sources describe extensive surveillance capabilities achieved through cell phone tracking technology.

Disputed Claims and Official Response

The Israel Defense Forces categorically rejected the documentary's allegations in a statement, asserting that "decisions regarding the selection and approval of strikes in the IDF are made by human personnel only, in accordance with IDF guidelines, and not by artificial intelligence."

The IDF spokesperson, who indicated not having viewed the film, questioned the veracity of anonymous testimonies and suggested some claims involve strategic matters "clearly beyond the knowledge of junior-level soldiers." The statement emphasized that IDF operations target terrorist organizations "in accordance with international law and the laws of armed conflict."

The Gaza Ministry of Health reports over 73,000 Palestinians killed and more than 173,000 wounded since Israel's military response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.

Why it matters

The documentary arrives as international scrutiny intensifies around military applications of artificial intelligence and autonomous targeting systems. If verified, the testimony would represent one of the first insider accounts of AI-assisted target generation in active combat operations, raising fundamental questions about algorithmic decision-making in warfare and accountability for civilian casualties in conflicts involving advanced surveillance technology.

Documentary Context and Filmmakers

Abraham and Szor are two of four directors behind the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land. Executive producer Jonathan Glazer also contributed to the project. The film includes scenes juxtaposing the testimony with Israeli Holocaust Remembrance Day observances and footage of tributes to Claude Lanzmann's Shoah, a documentary examining complicity during the Holocaust.

In their directors' statement, Abraham and Szor wrote that the film explores "not only the words being said but also those that are not said, the silence."

These details were first reported by Deadline.