JERUSALEM, September 11 — Fauda is back. The Israeli drama series created by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff has returned for its fifth season, now streaming, continuing a run that began with its debut in 2015. The story begins with two men who met during their military service and built a television series out of their own backgrounds.
Raz, who co-created the show, also stars as Doron Kavillio, an operative in an undercover unit of the Israel Defense Forces. Issacharoff, a journalist, co-created the series with him.
The title is the Hebrew word for “chaos,” and the show follows that unit as it operates in the Palestinian territories, drawing on the real-life military experiences of its creators.
A decade on screen
What unfolded over the past decade turned a Hebrew-language production into one of Israel’s most widely exported television series. Netflix distributes Fauda internationally, carrying it to audiences outside Israel and helping turn it into a global hit. The series is produced in Hebrew, with Arabic dialogue also featuring prominently, reflecting the bilingual setting of its storylines.
Its fourth season aired in 2022; the fifth continues the story of the unit and its members. At its heart, the show has always been a thriller built around a rotating mission.
Each season is typically built around a new operation and antagonist, and Season 5 continues that structure, with the unit facing a new set of challenges. The mix of thriller plotting and on-the-ground realism has been central to its appeal.
Praise and criticism
Not everyone has received it the same way. Over its run, Fauda has drawn both praise for its action-driven depiction of undercover operations and criticism over its portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, making it one of the most discussed Israeli dramas in international markets. The production has been noted for casting actors from both Israeli and Palestinian backgrounds, including Arab Israeli actors in significant roles.
Its cast over the years has included Raz and Hisham Suliman, among others who have become familiar to international audiences through the show. The series has been nominated for and won a number of Israeli television awards over its run, and its international profile has grown with each season.
Netflix has served as the primary international home for the series, releasing seasons for subscribers in numerous countries. For viewers, the new season is available to stream now, following the pattern of previous seasons released through the platform. In markets where Netflix holds the rights, all episodes have been released for viewers to watch, and the series remains available in Hebrew with subtitle and dubbing options depending on the region.
The release of Season 5 marks the latest chapter for a series that began in 2015 and has become a fixture of global streaming catalogs. What to watch next is whether the fifth season extends the show’s reach further still, or whether a decade in, the unit’s story has run its course.
