Revealed: Microsoft deepened ties with Israeli military to provide tech support during Gaza war
Leaked documents shed light on how Israel integrated the US tech giant into its war effort to meet growing demand for cloud and AI tools
by Harry Davies and Yuval Abraham in Jerusalem, theguardian.com
Leaked documents shed light on how Israel integrated the US tech giant into its war effort to meet growing demand for cloud and AI tools
Harry Davies and Yuval Abraham in Jerusalem
Thu 23 Jan 2025 11.00 GMT
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The Israeli military’s reliance on Microsoft’s cloud technology and artificial intelligence systems surged during the most intensive phase of its bombardment of Gaza, leaked documents reveal.
The files offer an inside view of how Microsoft deepened its relationship with Israel’s defence establishment after 7 October 2023, supplying the military with greater computing and storage services and striking at least $10m in deals to provide thousands of hours of technical support.
Microsoft’s deep ties with Israel’s military are revealed in an investigation by the Guardian with the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and a Hebrew-language outlet, Local Call. It is based in part on documents obtained by Drop Site News, which has published its own story.
The investigation, which also draws on interviews with sources from across Israel’s defence and intelligence establishment, sheds new light on how the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) turned to major US tech companies to meet the technological demands of war.
After launching its offensive in Gaza in October 2023, the IDF faced a sudden rush in demand for storage and computing power, leading it to swiftly expand its computing infrastructure and embrace what one commander described as “the wonderful world of cloud providers”.
As a result, multiple Israeli defence sources said, the IDF has become increasingly dependent on the likes of Microsoft, Amazon and Google to store and analyse greater volumes of data and intelligence information for longer period.
The leaked documents, which include commercial records from Israel’s defence ministry and files from Microsoft’s Israeli subsidiary, suggest Microsoft’s products and services, chiefly its Azure cloud computing platform, were used by units across Israel’s air, ground and naval forces, as well as its intelligence directorate.
While the IDF has used some Microsoft services for administrative purposes, such as email and file management systems, documents and interviews suggest Azure has been used to support combat and intelligence activities.
As a trusted partner of Israel’s defence ministry, Microsoft was frequently tasked with working on sensitive and highly classified projects. Its staff also worked closely with the IDF’s intelligence directorate, including its elite surveillance division, Unit 8200.
In recent years, documents show, Microsoft has also provided the Israeli military with large-scale access to OpenAI’s GPT-4 model – the engine behind ChatGPT – thanks to a partnership with the developer of the AI tools which recently changed its policies against working with military and intelligence clients.
Microsoft declined to comment on the findings of the investigation or answer questions about its work for the IDF. An IDF spokesperson said: “We won’t comment on the subject.” Israel’s defence ministry also declined to comment.
The disclosures about Microsoft’s deep ties to the IDF and the integration of its systems in the war effort illustrate the growth of private-sector involvement in hi-tech warfare and the increasingly blurred distinctions between civilian and military digital infrastructure.
In the US, commercial ties between Israel’s military and big tech groups are coming under increasing scrutiny and have sparked protests among tech workers who fear products they build and maintain have enabled a war in Gaza in which Israel stands accused of grave violations of international humanitarian law.
However, in a war that has become known for the IDF’s application of novel systems on the battlefield – including AI-driven target recommendation tools such as The Gospel and Lavender – the role played by major US-headquartered tech companies to support Israel’s operations in Gaza has, until now, largely remained out of sight.
A deepening partnership
In 2021, after Microsoft failed to secure a $1.2bn deal to overhaul Israel’s public sector’s cloud computing infrastructure, its executives looked with envy at Amazon and Google, which had joined forces to win the sprawling contract, known as “Project Nimbus”.
Although undoubtedly a blow to Microsoft’s business in Israel and its place as the IDF’s premier cloud provider, documents suggest the company took comfort from indications from Israeli defence officials that it would continue to enjoy a strong partnership with the military.
Executives were hopeful the relationship would continue to grow, thanks in part to the integration of the company’s technology and services in the most complex and secretive parts of the IDF’s operations.
The leaked documents illustrate how the US tech behemoth supported a range of sensitive activities, including:
Azure, Microsoft’s cloud platform, was used by multiple military intelligence units, including Unit 8200 and Unit 81, which develops cutting-edge spy technology for Israel’s intelligence community.
A system Israeli security forces use to manage the population registry and movement of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, known as “Rolling Stone”, was maintained using Microsoft’s technology.
During the Gaza offensive, Microsoft’s suite of communications and messaging systems were used by Ofek, an air force unit responsible for managing large databases of potential targets for lethal strikes known as “target banks”.
Microsoft’s staff and contractors have also worked closely with military personnel across the IDF, providing advice and technical support both remotely and on military bases.
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