Staff Reporter

Microsoft has terminated a set of cloud computing and AI services for a specific unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense following an internal investigation that found evidence supporting allegations of mass surveillance of Palestinians.

The tech giant’s decision, announced by President Brad Smith in a company blog post, comes after an early-August report by The Guardian and +972 Magazine alleged that Israel’s military intelligence unit, known as 8200, was using Microsoft Azure to store millions of phone calls made by Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Microsoft initiated a review on August 15, emphasizing that the company does not provide technology to o facilitate mass surveillance of civilians.

The investigation focused on business and financial records, without accessing the content of the stored material.

“We ceased and disabled a set of services to a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense,” Smith stated.

The review found evidence supporting elements of the news outlets’ investigation, including Israel’s consumption of Azure storage capacity in the Netherlands and the use of AI services.

Microsoft notified Israel of its decision to cease and disable specific Israel Defense Ministry subscriptions and their services, including their use of specific cloud storage and AI services and technologies.

Despite the cessation of services, an Israeli security official said, there is no damage to the operational capabilities of the IDF, reffering to the Israel Defense Forces.

Microsoft stated that its review of the allegations is still ongoing.