Microsoft Azure used to store recordings of Palestinian phone calls for Israeli military targeting
A joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call reported that Microsoft's Azure cloud infrastructure stored approximately 200 million hours of recorded Palestinian phone calls for Unit 8200, Israel's military intelligence branch, since 2022. According to sources including Israeli military intelligence officials, the surveillance data was used to guide deadly air strikes and shape military operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
What happened
Israel's Unit 8200, the military's intelligence branch, stored vast volumes of intercepted Palestinian phone calls on Microsoft's Azure cloud servers, according to a joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call. The surveillance system has been operational since 2022 and collected recordings of millions of daily phone calls from Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Leaked Microsoft documents and testimonies from 11 sources, including from Israeli military intelligence and the company, show that approximately 11,500 terabytes of data were stored, with the data appearing to be stored on Azure servers located in the Netherlands, Ireland and Israel. Three sources from Unit 8200 said the cloud-based system helped guide deadly air strikes and shaped operations across the occupied Palestinian territories.
Reported impact
According to the investigation, the stored data corresponded to approximately 200 million hours of Palestinian phone call recordings. Three Unit 8200 sources stated that the surveillance system helped guide deadly air strikes and shaped military operations across the occupied Palestinian territories.
Index analysis
Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella met with Unit 8200's commander Yossi Sariel in 2021, and internal records show Nadella offered support for moving large volumes of military intelligence into the cloud. Microsoft engineers worked closely with Israeli intelligence to embed security features within Azure to enable the transfer of up to 70 percent of Unit 8200's data.
Microsoft said an internal review found 'no evidence to date' that Azure or its artificial intelligence tools were 'used to target or harm people.' The company stated it is 'not accurate' to say Nadella provided personal support for the project.
Governance controls
The revelations came after the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, issued a report mapping corporations aiding Israel in its occupation and war on Gaza. The report noted that Microsoft has operated in Israel since 1991, built its largest hub outside the US in Israel, and integrated its technologies across the country's military, police, prisons, schools and settlements.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.