A new documentary exposing testimonies from former Israeli soldiers about military operations in Gaza received a reported 25-minute standing ovation at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, in what festival observers described as the longest ovation in the event’s history.

“NAZA,” produced by the British newspaper The Guardian and directed by Oscar winners Yuval Abraham and Rachel Zor, had its world premiere Thursday on Venice’s Lido, drawing widespread attention for its accounts of surveillance, targeting and lethal military operations against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The documentary is competing for the Golden Lion, the festival’s top prize.

Italian media reported that the ovation surpassed the 24-minute standing ovation given to “The Voice of Hind Rajab” at its world premiere in Venice last year.

Israeli soldiers describe operations in Gaza

“NAZA” is built around testimonies from 24 people who served in the Israeli military, including soldiers and intelligence personnel who describe military operations carried out in Gaza.

According to the filmmakers, some participants portray the killing of Palestinian civilians as systematic and provide accounts of the military systems used to monitor Palestinians, select targets and conduct attacks remotely.

The documentary’s title refers to an acronym reportedly used within the Israeli military in connection with civilians expected to be killed during attacks, including women and children.

The film offers accounts of secret surveillance and targeting mechanisms, as well as testimonies concerning attacks on residential areas where Palestinians had sought shelter and deadly incidents surrounding the distribution of food aid.

Some of those interviewed reportedly served in a secret intelligence unit that the documentary links to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Testimonies recorded under secrecy

Because of the risks faced by the participants, the filmmakers took extensive measures to conceal their identities.

Some interviews were secretly recorded from rooftops in Tel Aviv over a period of three years, while digital technology was used to obscure the participants’ faces and alter their voices.

The filmmakers said the testimonies provide an unusually direct account of how military and intelligence systems were developed and operated by people who were themselves involved in those operations.

Rachel Zor said this first-hand perspective was central to the documentary, arguing that the testimonies carry particular weight because the participants explain systems they helped design and operate.

‘Wall of denial’ over Gaza war

Ahead of the Venice premiere, Abraham said obtaining Italian distribution for the documentary was particularly important because what he described as a “wall of denial” surrounding Israel’s conduct of the war remains difficult to break through.

He stressed that the documentary was not primarily about Israeli politics or upcoming elections, but about Palestinians killed during the war in Gaza.

Abraham also warned that the violence depicted in the film is not merely a record of past events but reflects an ongoing reality.

He referred to the reported killing of a seven-year-old Palestinian girl and her father inside their vehicle during the same week as the film’s premiere, saying such incidents demonstrate that the realities documented in “NAZA” continue to unfold.

Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe continues

The documentary arrives as Palestinians in Gaza continue to endure the devastating consequences of Israel’s war on the besieged territory, which began in October 2023.

More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 174,000 wounded, according to the figures cited in the report, while vast areas of Gaza have been reduced to ruins. The destruction has displaced huge numbers of Palestinians and severely damaged homes, hospitals, schools and essential civilian infrastructure.

Palestinian officials and international rights groups have repeatedly raised allegations of war crimes and other grave violations during the conflict, while Israel has rejected accusations that it deliberately targets civilians and says its military operations are directed against Hamas.

Against this backdrop, the testimonies presented in “NAZA” have brought renewed attention to the conduct of Israeli military operations and the experiences of Palestinians living under bombardment, surveillance and siege.

Venice premiere puts Gaza testimony in global spotlight

The 83rd Venice International Film Festival is scheduled to conclude Saturday with the announcement of the Golden Lion winner.

Whether or not “NAZA” takes the festival’s top prize, its reception in Venice has already placed testimonies from Israeli military personnel about the war in Gaza before an international audience.

For Palestinians, whose experiences of the war have often been overshadowed by competing political narratives, the documentary offers a rare account from inside the military establishment responsible for conducting the operations.

Its 25-minute ovation in Venice reflects the powerful impact of testimony that seeks to confront the human cost of Israel’s war and the suffering endured by Palestinians in Gaza. (ILKHA)