VENICE, September 13, 2026 (Kamran Raja): A new documentary exploring Israel’s AI-assisted military operations and the killing of civilians in Gaza has won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Titled NAZA, the 80-minute documentary was directed by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. The film had been considered by some critics as a contender for the festival’s top Golden Lion award after receiving a 25-minute standing ovation at its premiere on Thursday. The Golden Lion was awarded to Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy for her post-war drama Woman Unknown, while its star Mathilde Arcel won the Best Actress award. Accepting the Special Jury Prize, Abraham said that during the 10 days since the festival began, six Palestinian children had been killed by Israel in Gaza. He said Israeli intelligence officers interviewed for the documentary described the mass killing as systemic and linked to policies that, according to their accounts, involved the dehumanisation of Palestinians. Abraham and Szor based the documentary on interviews with 24 Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers, whose identities were protected. The interviewees described their experiences using Israel’s AI-powered targeting systems and compared aspects of their work to a “killing factory” or a lethal video game. The documentary has drawn strong reactions from critics, with Screen describing it as an urgent and powerful film, while The Hollywood Reporter said it provoked outrage and profound disgust over the conduct of the Israeli government. Abraham said it was particularly important for Israelis to watch the documentary, stressing that the film deals with actions carried out by his own country.