A joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call has revealed that Israel’s elite cyber-intelligence unit, Unit 8200, has been using Microsoft‘s cloud servers to store vast volumes of intercepted Palestinian phone calls. The surveillance system, operational since 2022, enables the unit to collect and retain recordings of millions of daily phone calls from Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The leaked Microsoft documents and testimonies from 11 sources, including Israeli military intelligence and the company, show that a large amount of the data appeared to be stored on Microsoft’s Azure servers located in the Netherlands and Ireland. Three sources from Unit 8200 said that the cloud-based system helped guide deadly air strikes and shaped operations across the occupied Palestinian territories.
Microsoft claimed that CEO Satya Nadella was unaware of the nature of the data to be stored. The company has said an internal review found “no evidence to date” that Azure or its artificial intelligence (AI) tools were “used to target or harm people”. However, sources alleged that the stored data had been used to justify detentions and even killings.
The system’s expansion coincided with a broader shift in Israeli surveillance, moving from targeted tracking to bulk monitoring of the Palestinian population. One AI-driven tool reportedly assigns risk scores to text messages based on certain trigger words, including discussions of weapons or martyrdom. “When they need to arrest someone and there isn’t a good enough reason … that’s where they find the excuse,” one source was cited as saying.
The revelations come amid ongoing concerns about Israel’s use of technology in its military operations. As Israel’s war on Gaza continues, with more than 61,250 Palestinians killed, including 18,000 children, the surveillance programme remains active. Sources said the existing data, combined with AI tools, continues to be used in military operations.
The UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, had previously issued a report mapping the corporations aiding Israel in its occupation and war on Gaza. The report noted that Microsoft, which has operated in Israel since 1991, has built its largest hub outside the US in Israel and began integrating its technologies across the country’s military, police, prisons, schools, and settlements.
Microsoft claimed it had “no information” about the specific data stored by Unit 8200. The company’s statement cited by the Guardian said it “is not accurate” to say Nadella provided his personal support for the project. As the situation continues to unfold, concerns about the use of technology in military operations and the impact on human rights remain.