Leaked documents obtained by The Guardian, in collaboration with Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and a Hebrew-language outlet called Local Call, have revealed how Microsoft’s cloud technology and artificial intelligence systems played a critical role in Israel’s military operations during its Gaza offensive following the events of 7 October, 2023. The revelations shed light on the tech giant’s deepening ties with Israel’s defence establishment, with Microsoft providing substantial computing and storage services, as well as technical support worth over $10 million.
According to The Guardian, the documents detail how Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform was integral to Israel’s air, ground, and naval forces, along with its intelligence units, including the elite Unit 8200 and Unit 9900. The Israeli military’s reliance on Azure’s tools surged, with monthly consumption of AI-powered services rising sharply during the conflict. A former Unit 8200 commander had predicted this trend in a 2021 book, likening future partnerships with cloud providers like Microsoft to Israel’s established relationships with major arms manufacturers.
The files reveal that Microsoft’s engineers worked closely with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), including its intelligence directorate and central computing unit, Mamram, which oversees the military’s tech infrastructure. Mamram’s commander, Col. Racheli Dembinsky, praised the “crazy wealth of services” provided by cloud companies, calling them essential for achieving “very significant operational effectiveness” in Gaza. Her remarks, reported by +972 Magazine and Local Call, were accompanied by slides displaying the logos of Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud.
During the war, the IDF’s demand for advanced AI tools spiked. Azure’s machine learning tools saw a 64-fold increase in consumption from September 2023 to March 2024. Additionally, a quarter of these tools were reportedly linked to OpenAI’s GPT-4 model, integrated into Microsoft’s platform. In January 2024, OpenAI quietly removed its restrictions on the military use of its services, marking a significant policy shift that coincided with the Israeli military’s increased use of its tools.
Despite the revelations, Microsoft, the IDF, and Israel’s defence ministry declined to comment, according to The Guardian. OpenAI also denied any direct partnership with the IDF, maintaining its policy against the use of its products to harm others or develop weapons.
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