NAZA, an acronym for the Hebrew phrase nezek agavi meaning “collateral damage,” is the subject of a new Israeli-made documentary that examines how the military calculates acceptable civilian casualties. Much of the film is shot on Tel Aviv rooftops, where Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham conducts one-on-one interviews with soldiers and intelligence personnel who speak under the cloak of anonymity.
In these interviews, servicemembers describe operations that, they say, resulted in mass civilian deaths. The contributors recount incidents in which orders, protocols or mistakes led to the killing of noncombatants—events framed by the documentary as part of an institutional approach to collateral loss rather than isolated errors.
The film’s participants discuss the language and metrics used by the military to categorize and justify civilian harm. NAZA refers explicitly to an official calculus: a threshold of deaths and injuries deemed tolerable in pursuit of operational objectives. Interviewees explain how that threshold shapes planning, target selection and after-action assessments.
By interviewing current and former soldiers and intelligence personnel, NAZA foregrounds firsthand accounts that challenge official narratives about restraint and precision. Some speakers describe internal debates about rules of engagement, escalation and the moral consequences of decisions made in the field. Others recount specific operations and their aftermaths, portraying a system in which civilian suffering is quantified and, at times, accepted as an operational necessity.
The rooftop setting in Tel Aviv underscores the proximity of these testimonies to everyday Israeli life, while the filmmakers’ choice to conceal identities reflects both the legal and personal risks faced by those who speak candidly about military practices. The documentary aims to open public discussion about accountability, the ethics of warfare and how democracies contend with civilian casualties in protracted conflict.
NAZA presents these accounts without offering definitive legal judgments, instead leaving viewers to weigh the testimonies, the military’s own frameworks and the broader human cost. The film contributes to an ongoing debate—within Israel and internationally—about how armed forces measure and live with collateral damage, and what changes, if any, might reduce civilian tolls in future operations.
Source: npr.org
