"NAZA set the country on fire": scandalous film in world headlines - and Israel's line of defense

The film NAZA ("Collateral Damage") by Rachel Shor and Yuval Abraham, based on anonymous testimonies of 24 Israeli soldiers, has sparked international resonance. Israel's Foreign Ministry sent embassies a memo with instructions on how to respond to war crime allegations, calling the film a "cinema anonymous letter" and "Hamas propaganda." World media, including the NYT and Le Monde, cover the gap between Israel's perception of the war and international criticism.

The film NAZA ("Collateral Damage") by directors Rachel Shor and Yuval Abraham, which won a prize in Venice, has sparked a sharp reaction in Israel. The film is based on anonymous testimonies of 24 Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers who accuse the IDF of war crimes in the Gaza Strip. Israel's Foreign Ministry sent embassies an official memo characterizing the film as a "cinema anonymous letter" serving as a cover for Hamas propaganda. The central thesis of Israel's defense line: "there is no genocide in the Gaza Strip." The IDF denies the claim about authorization for a strike with an expected 500 civilian deaths, calling it "knowingly false." Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir called the film a "blood libel" and ordered legal steps to be considered. World media, including The New York Times and Le Monde, cover the gap between Israel's perception of the war as justified self-defense and international criticism focused on the scale of destruction and casualties. The article notes that the storm erupted before the film's release in Israel.