Facing increased demand for computing power after launching its offensive in Gaza, Israeli military turned to tech companies to scale its infrastructure. As firms vied for military contracts, Microsoft offered steep discounts to edge out rivals.
Microsoft was frequently involved in sensitive and highly classified projects of the Israeli forces. (File picture: AP)
India Today News Desk
New Delhi
Jan 24, 2025
Written By: Devika Bhattacharya
In Short
Written By: Devika Bhattacharya
In Short
Israel signs deals worth $10 million with Microsoft post-Hamas attack
Microsoft supports Israeli military with cloud and AI tech
Leaked files reveal AI tool flagged 37,000 Palestinians as suspects
Leaked internal documents reveal Microsoft’s role as a major purveyor of cloud services and artificial intelligence (AI) technology to the Israeli military, with its support picking up pace after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel ignited the Gaza conflict.
A joint investigation by the Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call details how Microsoft bolstered its relationship with Israel’s defence establishment following the unprecedented Hamas assault, signing deals worth at least $10 million. These agreements reportedly provided thousands of hours of technical support, alongside expanded computing and storage services.
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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), facing increased demand for computing power after launching its offensive in Gaza, turned to tech companies to scale its infrastructure, triggering a "gold rush". As firms vied for military contracts, Microsoft offered steep discounts to edge out rivals.
According to one military commander who spoke to the Guardian, this marked a shift toward "the wonderful world of cloud providers."
The documents, first obtained by Drop Site News, show the IDF’s reliance on Microsoft, Amazon, and Google for data storage and intelligence analysis grew sharply. Between June 2023 and April 2024, Microsoft’s cloud storage usage within the military surged by over 155 per cent, peaking before the Rafah offensive in May 2024.
Microsoft’s Azure platform and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI's language model tools accounted for nearly 75 per cent of the IDF’s usage. These services supported combat and intelligence activities, including projects with Unit 8200, the IDF’s elite surveillance division, and Unit 81, which develops advanced spy technology.
The tech behemoth was frequently involved in sensitive and highly classified projects. It played a role in maintaining “Rolling Stone,” a system that tracks the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
During the military operation in Gaza, Ofek, an air force unit responsible for managing databases of targets for strikes, relied on Microsoft’s communication and messaging systems.
The leaked files also detail Microsoft’s provision of AI tools like Lavender, which reportedly analysed data on 2.3 million Gaza residents to identify potential Hamas connections. The system flagged about 37,000 Palestinians as suspects, according to Tel Aviv-based +972 Magazine.
The revelations come as Google also ramped up its support to Israel’s Defence Ministry, offering increased access to its AI technologies. Additional projects worth $30 million are under consideration, though the total value of Israel’s contract with Microsoft remains unclear.
Microsoft has yet to comment on the findings, which shed light on how US tech giants are deeply embedded in military and intelligence operations work.
Leaked documents reveal Microsoft's deep ties with Israel during genocidal war in Gaza
January 23, 2025
January 23, 2025
MEMO
Microsoft logo [İsmail Kaplan – Anadolu Agency]
Leaked internal documents reveal that Microsoft has come out as a major provider of cloud services and artificial intelligence (AI) to the Israeli military, with support increasing dramatically since the conflict in Gaza began on 7 October, 2023, Anadolu Agency reports.
According to documents obtained by Drop Site News, Israel has emerged as one of Microsoft’s top global partners, with engineering support and consultancy costs totalling about $10 million since the Gaza attacks began.
Microsoft has yet to publicly confirm or deny the report, and it has not responded to Anadolu’s request for comment.
With additional support projects worth $30 million under consideration in 2024, the total size of Israel’s contract with the tech company, which is expected to be much larger, could not be determined from the documents.
The Israeli military’s use of Microsoft services has seen unprecedented growth, with cloud storage usage jumping over 155 per cent between June 2023 and April 2024, peaking just before the Rafah offensive in May 2024.
Microsoft’s most utilised services include translation tools and Azure OpenAI, accounting for nearly 75 per cent of total military usage.
Reports about AI-targeted technologies like Lavender, which analyzes data on approximately 2.3 million Gaza residents to identify potential Hamas connections, are particularly concerning.
According to Tel Aviv-based +972 media reports, the system initially identified approximately 37,000 Palestinians as “suspects”.
The war in Gaza has sparked what can be described as a “gold rush” among technology companies seeking military contracts, with Microsoft offering significant discounts to secure defence partnerships with Israel.
The documents highlight a broader trend of tech companies supporting military operations, echoing similar revelations about Google’s AI assistance to Israeli defence forces.
The total value of Microsoft’s contract with the Israeli Defence Ministry has not been declared, but documents suggest it goes far beyond the reported support costs.
Microsoft logo [İsmail Kaplan – Anadolu Agency]
Leaked internal documents reveal that Microsoft has come out as a major provider of cloud services and artificial intelligence (AI) to the Israeli military, with support increasing dramatically since the conflict in Gaza began on 7 October, 2023, Anadolu Agency reports.
According to documents obtained by Drop Site News, Israel has emerged as one of Microsoft’s top global partners, with engineering support and consultancy costs totalling about $10 million since the Gaza attacks began.
Microsoft has yet to publicly confirm or deny the report, and it has not responded to Anadolu’s request for comment.
With additional support projects worth $30 million under consideration in 2024, the total size of Israel’s contract with the tech company, which is expected to be much larger, could not be determined from the documents.
The Israeli military’s use of Microsoft services has seen unprecedented growth, with cloud storage usage jumping over 155 per cent between June 2023 and April 2024, peaking just before the Rafah offensive in May 2024.
Microsoft’s most utilised services include translation tools and Azure OpenAI, accounting for nearly 75 per cent of total military usage.
Reports about AI-targeted technologies like Lavender, which analyzes data on approximately 2.3 million Gaza residents to identify potential Hamas connections, are particularly concerning.
According to Tel Aviv-based +972 media reports, the system initially identified approximately 37,000 Palestinians as “suspects”.
The war in Gaza has sparked what can be described as a “gold rush” among technology companies seeking military contracts, with Microsoft offering significant discounts to secure defence partnerships with Israel.
The documents highlight a broader trend of tech companies supporting military operations, echoing similar revelations about Google’s AI assistance to Israeli defence forces.
The total value of Microsoft’s contract with the Israeli Defence Ministry has not been declared, but documents suggest it goes far beyond the reported support costs.
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