Watan-Microsoft is among the tech giants that deepened their collaboration with Israel during its aggression on Gaza. Leaked internal documents reveal that the Israeli military’s reliance on the company’s cloud computing and artificial intelligence systems significantly increased during the most brutal phase of the war on Gaza.
The leaked documents, disclosed by The Guardian in collaboration with Israeli publication 972+ and Hebrew news site Local Call on Thursday, highlight how Israel integrated Microsoft’s technologies into its war against Palestinians in Gaza. They also shed light on how the U.S.-based company strengthened its relationship with the Israeli military after October 7, 2023, by providing expanded cloud storage and computing services, in addition to signing deals worth at least $10 million to deliver thousands of hours of technical support. The revelations also provide insights into how the Israeli military has turned to major American tech firms to meet the technological demands of its aggression.
What Did Microsoft Provide to the Israeli Military?
Following the onset of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military faced a sudden surge in demand for storage and computing power. This prompted a rapid expansion of its computing infrastructure and reliance on what one Israeli official described as the “amazing world of cloud service providers.” To meet this demand, multiple Israeli sources told The Guardian and its investigative partners that the military increased its reliance on companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google to store and analyze larger quantities of intelligence data for extended periods.
The leaked documents, which include trade records from Israel’s Ministry of Defense and files from an Israeli subsidiary of Microsoft, reveal that the company’s products and services, particularly its Azure cloud computing platform, were used by Israel’s air, land, and naval forces, as well as its intelligence directorate. While some Microsoft services were employed for administrative tasks like email systems and file management, the documents and interviews indicate that Azure was utilized to support combat and intelligence operations.
As a trusted partner of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Microsoft was frequently tasked with working on highly sensitive and classified projects. Its employees collaborated closely with the Israeli military intelligence directorate, including Unit 8200, the elite intelligence-gathering division. The documents show that, in recent years, Microsoft also granted the Israeli military extensive access to OpenAI’s GPT-4 model, thanks to the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI.
Microsoft’s Expanding Role
In 2021, Microsoft failed to secure a $1.2 billion deal to overhaul cloud computing infrastructure for Israel’s public sector, a project that went to competitors Amazon and Google under the controversial Project Nimbus initiative. This was a blow to Microsoft’s standing as a major cloud provider for the Israeli military. However, the leaked documents reveal that Israeli officials reassured Microsoft of the continued strength of their military partnership.
Microsoft executives expressed hopes to deepen ties with the Israeli military, particularly as their technologies and services were embedded in some of the most complex and secretive military operations. The leaked documents detail Microsoft’s involvement in supporting sensitive activities.
For example, Azure was used by various military intelligence units, including Unit 8200 and Unit 81, which develops advanced espionage technology. Microsoft tools were also employed to maintain the “Rolling Stone” system, used by Israeli forces to monitor the movements and records of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. During the war on Gaza, Microsoft’s communications and messaging systems were utilized by Ofek, an air force unit responsible for managing large databases of “target banks.” Additionally, Microsoft engineers and contractors worked closely with military personnel, providing on-site and remote consultation and technical support.
Rising Dependence on AI Technologies
The documents indicate that Israel’s Ministry of Defense approved the purchase of 19,000 hours of engineering support and consultancy services from Microsoft, benefiting a wide range of military units. This resulted in approximately $10 million in revenue for Microsoft between October 2023 and June 2024.
During the aggression on Gaza, Israeli military consumption of Microsoft’s Azure AI-based products also surged. By March 2024, monthly usage of Azure’s machine learning tools was reportedly 64 times higher than in September 2023. The documents also reveal that the Israeli military employed tools such as translation and speech-to-text systems. Many of these AI-powered services operated on “air-gapped” systems—networks disconnected from public internet—suggesting their use in highly sensitive tasks.
Microsoft’s Broader Cloud and AI Integration
The leaked documents also highlight Microsoft’s efforts to support the Central Computing Unit of the Israeli military, known as Maram. Responsible for the military’s technological infrastructure, Maram spearheaded Israel’s shift toward greater reliance on commercial cloud computing providers. In November 2023, amid the ground invasion of Gaza, Maram faced significant system strain, leading to the purchase of expanded computing capabilities from civilian providers like Microsoft. At a military industry conference in Tel Aviv, Maram’s leader, Racheli Dembinsky, described the operational advantages of advanced AI services provided by cloud providers.
By the first half of 2024, the Israeli military’s average monthly use of Azure cloud storage facilities had increased by 60% compared to the months preceding the war. Tools developed by OpenAI, including GPT-4, reportedly accounted for a quarter of the military’s machine learning consumption provided by Microsoft.
No Comment from Microsoft or the Israeli Military
Microsoft declined to comment on the investigation or answer questions about its work for the Israeli military. The Israeli military and Ministry of Defense also declined to comment. OpenAI, meanwhile, stated there was no partnership between it and the Israeli military but did not address questions about how its technologies were used.
Other Tech Companies Involved
Microsoft was not the only tech company supporting the Israeli military. According to The Washington Post, Google also provided AI services to the Israeli military. Furthermore, the documents indicate that the Israeli military’s use of OpenAI technologies, accessed via Microsoft Azure, sharply increased during the first half of the war.
By 2024, OpenAI technologies reportedly made up a significant portion of the Israeli military’s AI consumption through Microsoft. Reports suggest that OpenAI quietly removed restrictions against the military use of its technologies in early 2024, allowing their usage in war-related activities.
This report highlights how tech giants, particularly Microsoft, have played a crucial role in supporting Israel’s military operations during its aggression on Gaza, raising questions about the ethical implications of such partnerships.
Microsoft Is Not Alone
The Israeli military’s collaboration extended beyond Microsoft, as it also benefited from AI services provided by competing companies. According to The Washington Post, Google’s cloud computing division provided the Israeli military with access to its AI-based services.
Recently leaked documents reveal that the Israeli military’s use of OpenAI technologies, such as GPT-4—a powerful AI model designed for language comprehension and generation—sharply increased during the first six months of the war. Israel accessed this technology through Microsoft’s Azure platform rather than directly through OpenAI.
At one point in 2024, technologies developed by OpenAI accounted for a quarter of the Israeli military’s total consumption of machine learning tools provided by Microsoft. Reports have noted that Microsoft invested $13 billion in OpenAI in recent years.
In January 2024, OpenAI quietly removed its restrictions against the use of its services for “military and warfare” activities as part of a comprehensive update to its policies. Around that time, the documents indicate a rise in the Israeli military’s consumption of OpenAI technologies.
When asked for a comment, OpenAI did not respond to questions regarding its awareness of how the Israeli military was utilizing its technologies. A spokesperson for the company stated, “There is no partnership between OpenAI and the Israeli military,” and referred to the company’s updated usage policy, which prohibits using its technologies “to develop or use weapons, harm others, or destroy property.”
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