A joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and
Local Call has revealed that Israel's Unit 8200 has stored intercepted
Palestinian phone communications on Microsoft's Azure cloud since 2022, raising
grave concerns about mass surveillance and military targeting. Microsoft is now
conducting an internal probe amid serious criticism of its collaboration with
the Israeli military intelligence agency.
Investigations Uncover Microsoft’s Role in Israeli Mass Surveillance
A collaborative report by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and
Local Call exposed a secretive partnership between Microsoft and Israel’s elite
military intelligence unit, Unit 8200. According to the investigation, the
Israeli agency has been leveraging Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to store
and analyse massive volumes of intercepted Palestinian phone calls originating
from Gaza and the occupied West Bank since at least 2022.
The extent of the surveillance is unprecedented, with the
system reportedly capturing up to a million calls per hour. The data archive on
Microsoft’s servers, located predominantly in the Netherlands and Ireland,
consists of approximately 11,500 terabytes—equivalent to 200 million hours of
audio recordings. This system is reported to have been used to plan lethal
airstrikes and support other military operations.
Details of the Microsoft-Unit 8200 Partnership
The investigation revealed that in late 2021, Microsoft CEO
Satya Nadella met with Unit 8200 commander Yossi Sariel. According to leaked
documents and multiple Israeli sources cited by The Guardian, this meeting was
pivotal in securing Microsoft’s involvement. Nadella approved the development
of a customised, segregated section of Azure to accommodate Israel's
surveillance data needs.
Internal communications portray Nadella’s view of the
partnership as a "critical" business opportunity for Microsoft.
Engineers at Microsoft worked closely with Unit 8200 personnel, some of whom
were former service members of the unit themselves, contributing to building
encrypted security layers that protect the sensitive data, thereby enabling
continued military use.
Allegations of Concealment and Internal Conflict within Microsoft
Recent reports indicate that Microsoft is investigating its
Israel-based staff, with concerns that Israeli employees may have withheld
critical information from US headquarters regarding the nature and extent of
Microsoft’s involvement with Unit 8200’s surveillance projects.
Sources familiar with Microsoft’s internal discussions claim
that earlier assurances from Israel-based personnel—that Azure technology had
not been used to harm Palestinians—are now met with scepticism by executives at
the company’s US headquarters. Questions have been raised about possible
conflicts of loyalty among employees and the transparency of communications
between local staff and global leadership.
Microsoft’s Public Statements and Criticism
Microsoft has publicly denied any direct use of its technology
to target Palestinians or contribute to harm in Gaza. In May 2025, the company
issued a statement insisting that a thorough review had found no evidence that
Azure or its artificial intelligence capabilities were used to facilitate
attacks or harm individuals in the conflict.
Following the latest revelations, a Microsoft spokesperson told Arab News:
“We take these allegations seriously ... As we receive new information, we’re committed to validate any new data and take any needed action.”
However, the spokesperson also stated that the company was unaware of
the surveillance of civilians using its services and that any assertions suggesting
Microsoft leadership’s support of such projects are false.
Military and Legal Context of Microsoft’s Collaboration
The Israeli military’s Unit 8200, often compared to the US
National Security Agency, is responsible for cyber-intelligence operations.
Sources inside the unit disclosed that intercepted communications have been
used not only for planning airstrikes but also for arrests and targeted
assassinations. This surveillance is described by Israeli officials as
essential for exerting “long-term control” over Palestinian populations, even
amid ongoing warfare.
In response, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have maintained that their cooperation with civilian companies, including Microsoft, operates under “regulated and legally supervised agreements” consistent with international law. An IDF spokesperson said,
“The coordination between the Defense Ministry and the IDF with civilian companies ... aims at countering terrorism and ensuring the security of the state and its citizens.”
Nevertheless, after the investigation was published, the IDF spokesperson also
asserted that Microsoft is not involved in the storage or processing of data
for the military.
Broad Criticism and Accusations of Complicity
Human rights advocates and Palestinian rights groups have
long criticised Microsoft for its deep involvement with the Israeli military
and government institutions. As noted by the BDS Movement, Microsoft is
implicated in supporting the illegal Israeli occupation and policies described
by international institutions as apartheid and potential genocide. The
company’s technology is said to be deployed in ways that facilitate grave human
rights violations against Palestinians, including war crimes and crimes against
humanity.
These revelations add to growing calls for accountability on the part of global tech firms that provide critical infrastructure enabling mass surveillance and military operations against civilian populations.
- Microsoft
has been hosting a vast archive of intercepted Palestinian communications
collected by Israel’s Unit 8200 on its Azure cloud since 2022.
- The
system is capable of processing up to a million calls per hour, storing
around 11,500 terabytes of audio data.
- The
partnership was cemented following a 2021 meeting between Microsoft CEO
Satya Nadella and Unit 8200 commander Yossi Sariel.
- Microsoft
engineers worked closely with the Israeli military to build a customised,
secure section within Azure to support mass surveillance operations.
- Concerns
are rising within Microsoft about possible concealment of details by
Israel-based employees regarding the military’s use of the cloud service.
- Microsoft
denies direct involvement in targeting or harming Palestinians but
continues an internal investigation following the reports.
- The
Israeli military claims cooperation with Microsoft is legally regulated,
though they confirm a strategic use of surveillance data for military
actions.
- Human
rights groups accuse Microsoft of complicity in grave violations against
Palestinians, including facilitating mass surveillance, imprisonment, and
military aggression.
This unfolding story spotlights the complex and
controversial role of global technology companies in conflicts, raising urgent
questions about corporate responsibility, human rights, and transparency in the
use of cutting-edge technologies for surveillance and warfare.