Microsoft blocks Israeli military’s use of spy tech for Gaza, West Bank surveillance

Microsoft has cut off the Israeli military's access to cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) services it used to run a mass surveillance programme that intercepted millions of Palestinian phone calls daily in Gaza and the West Bank, according to a recent report by The Guardian.

The move followed an internal review triggered by revelations last month that Unit 8200, Israel's elite signals intelligence agency, had relied on Microsoft's Azure platform to store and analyse vast volumes of intercepted communications. Microsoft determined the project breached its terms of service, which prohibit the use of its technology for mass surveillance of civilians, according to the report.

The decision marks the first known instance of a US technology company halting services to the Israeli military since the start of its Gaza campaign in 2023. It comes amid mounting pressure from employees and investors who have called on Microsoft to end ties with Israel's armed forces over the use of its systems in intelligence and targeting operations.

However, this decision affects only Unit 8200's use of certain Azure services and does not extend to its broader commercial relationship with the Israeli Defence Forces, which remain a client. 

According to the Guardian report, unit 8200, often compared to the US National Security Agency, had developed a platform within Azure with the capacity to capture and analyse up to "a million calls an hour". The intercepted data, reportedly amounting to thousands of terabytes, was initially stored in Microsoft's Dutch data centres before being moved in recent weeks to other providers.

The surveillance programme, which initially focused on Palestinians in the West Bank, was later used during Israel's campaign in Gaza. Intelligence sources told the Guardian the system had been employed to support the preparation of airstrikes, highlighting the role of US technology infrastructure in the war.

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Microsoft provided tech support to Israeli army in Gaza war

Microsoft's action comes at a time when international scrutiny of Israel's military conduct is intensifying. A United Nations (UN) commission has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, a charge it denies. Local health officials estimate that more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, many of them women and children. Although the figure of actual death toll is likely to be significantly higher, mentioned the report.