Microsoft has confirmed that it sold AI and cloud computing services to the Israeli military during the ongoing war in Gaza, though it denies its technology was used to harm people.
The cloud company released a statement on May 15 in response to “concerns from our employees and the public” about the use of Microsoft Azure and AI services by the Israeli military.
The company said that it has conducted an internal review and engaged with an external firm for additional fact-finding. “Based on these reviews, including interviewing dozens of employees and assessing documents, we have found no evidence to date that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza.”
Microsoft acknowledged that it provides the Israel Ministry of Defense with “software, professional services, Azure cloud services, and Azure AI services, including language translation,” as well as working with the Israeli government to protect its “national cyberspace against external threats.”
The confirmation from Microsoft that it provided such services to the Israeli military comes as no surprise, with several prior investigations suggesting a business relationship despite Microsoft losing out on the 2021 Project Nimbus contract from the Israeli government, which was instead awarded to Google and Amazon Web Services. Reports have been ongoing since at least April 2024.
Earlier this year, it was reported that, during the war in Gaza, Microsoft supplied Israel’s defense services with at least $10 million in computing and storage services.
Off the back of an investigation conducted by The Guardian, the publication stated that Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform was used across Israel’s air, ground, and naval forces, and by its intelligence department. Some of this was for administrative purposes, though Microsoft technology was also reportedly used to help with combat and intelligence activities.
Beyond that, Microsoft allegedly gave the Israeli military access to OpenAI’s GPT-4 model after OpenAI changed its policy to no longer ban work with military and intelligence customers in January 2024. The Associated Press also conducted an investigation into Microsoft and OpenAI’s technology use by the Israeli military.
Microsoft’s recent statement on its partnership with the Israeli military acknowledges providing access to AI technologies, though states that the technology is bound by its terms of service and conditions of use which “require customers to implement core responsible AI practices–such as human oversight and access controls–and prohibit the use of our cloud and AI services in any manner that inflicts harm on individuals or organizations or affects individuals in any way that is prohibited by law.”
The company further acknowledged that it provided additional support to the Israeli government in the weeks following the initial October 7, 2023, attack to “help rescue hostages.”
While asserting that its technology was not used for harm during the Gaza war, Microsoft noted that it “does not have visibility into how customers use our software on their own servers or other devices.”
In February 2025, five Microsoft employees were removed from a meeting with CEO Satya Nadella for protesting against the company’s contracts with the Israeli military. The company previously fired two employees in October 2024 for holding a vigil for Palestinian refugees at the company’s headquarters.
Also that month, Google edited its AI principles to no longer include a pledge not to provide artificial intelligence (AI) for use in weapons systems or surveillance tools, shortly after similar reports reemerged surrounding Google providing its cloud computing and AI technology to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Defense Ministry.
Microsoft’s AI standard does not explicitly say the company will not engage in these practices, however, it does state that it is committed to a “responsible approach to AI” while respecting human rights.
Thus far, the war in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 people, many of them women and children, according to the AP.
DCD has contacted Microsoft for further information about how its technology has been used during the conflict.
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