Microsoft Azure Stores Millions of Palestinian Calls for Israeli Military Surveillance

Satya Nadella personally approved a secret deal allowing Israel’s military to store millions of intercepted Palestinian phone calls on Microsoft servers, according to explosive new investigations. The Microsoft CEO greenlit a customized Azure cloud partition for Israel’s elite Unit 8200 surveillance division, enabling what sources describe as the capture of “a million calls an hour” from Gaza and West Bank civilians since 2022. This mass surveillance infrastructure – hosted in Microsoft’s Dutch and Irish data centers – has allegedly fueled deadly airstrikes during recent military operations, triggering fierce internal protests at the tech giant.

How Does Corporate Tech Enable Military Surveillance Operations?

The arrangement creates a segregated Azure environment specifically designed for Israel’s surveillance apparatus. Military sources confirm intercepted calls are processed using AI tools to identify targets, with data storage concentrated in Microsoft’s Netherlands facilities according to leaked documents. Unit 8200 operators reportedly use the recordings to guide bombing campaigns and ground operations. “This isn’t traditional intelligence gathering,” revealed one insider. “It’s industrialized surveillance of an entire civilian population.” The system reportedly scaled dramatically during recent conflicts, processing calls from Palestinians who have no legal recourse against monitoring under occupation.

The revelation directly contradicts Microsoft’s official stance. Earlier this year, the company commissioned an external review claiming “no evidence” that Azure or its AI tools harmed Palestinians. Yet multiple Unit 8200 sources confirmed to The Guardian and +972 Magazine that intelligence from the Azure-stored calls actively shapes military targeting. Microsoft maintains they have “no information” about the nature of stored data, stating: “At no time has Microsoft been aware of surveillance of civilians using our services.”

Employee Backlash and Industry-Wide Accountability Questions

Dozens of Microsoft employees have organized under the banner “No Azure for Apartheid,” signing pledges to boycott work on Israeli military contracts. The internal rebellion mirrors protests at Google, where workers recently exposed similar AI collaborations with Israel’s Defense Ministry. At a May keynote, Nadella faced direct confrontation when an employee interrupted: “What about Azure-powered bombings?” The employee group demands immediate contract termination, citing Azure’s role in conflicts that have killed over 60,000 Gazans according to their statement.

“This isn’t just about servers – it’s about complicity,” said a Microsoft engineer who requested anonymity. When we build specialized infrastructure knowing it’ll store illegally obtained civilian data, we cross ethical lines.” Legal experts note Israel’s control of Palestinian telecommunications creates unique surveillance access, but Microsoft’s cloud storage enables unprecedented scale. The controversy highlights Silicon Valley’s expanding role in global conflicts, with tech workers increasingly demanding ethical boundaries for military applications.

Microsoft Azure has become an invisible battlefield where civilian privacy is collateral damage in military tech partnerships. As revelations mount about the Dutch-stored Palestinian call database, Nadella faces mounting pressure to audit Azure’s military contracts or risk permanent erosion of employee and public trust. Demand transparency from tech giants about defense collaborations at shareholder meetings now.

Must Know

How does Israel capture Palestinian phone calls?
Israel controls telecommunications infrastructure in occupied territories, enabling direct access to networks. The Azure system reportedly intercepts calls at scale through this access, processing over a million hourly recordings without warrants or consent according to intelligence sources.

Where is the surveillance data stored?
Leaked Microsoft documents indicate most intercepted calls are housed in the company’s European data centers, primarily in the Netherlands with secondary storage in Ireland. This allows Israel to bypass domestic data storage limitations.

What is Microsoft’s official position?
Microsoft denies awareness of civilian surveillance, stating their external review found no evidence of Azure misuse. They claim contracts provide only “generic cloud services” without knowledge of specific data types stored.

Are other tech companies involved?
Yes. Recent reports confirm Google employees collaborated with Israel’s Defense Ministry on AI tools. Amazon also faces scrutiny over AWS contracts with multiple governments engaged in surveillance programs.

What are employees demanding?
Microsoft workers under “No Azure for Apartheid” demand complete termination of military surveillance contracts, ethical reviews of defense partnerships, and transparency about Azure’s role in conflict zones.

Has this affected military operations?
Unit 8200 sources confirm intercepted calls stored on Azure directly contributed to targeting decisions during recent military campaigns, though Microsoft disputes this characterization.