Amnesty International has welcomed Microsoft’s recent decision to restrict access for Israel’s Unit 8200 to certain Azure Cloud storage and AI services after an investigation revealed the technology was being used for mass surveillance of Palestinians. Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, emphasized the need for Microsoft to review all its contracts, sales, and transfers of surveillance and AI technology to Israel to ensure they are not facilitating human rights violations. She stressed that this action should signal to other major tech companies the importance of addressing their involvement in activities that support Israel’s policies in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Gaza.
Callamard further urged companies to suspend the sale of weapons, military equipment, and surveillance technology to Israel, warning that continued support contributes directly to international crimes against Palestinians. She highlighted the need for accountability as Israel’s campaign in Gaza, marked by killings, destruction, and forced displacement, continues. Amnesty International and other human rights bodies, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, have concluded that Israel’s actions constitute genocide in Gaza. Previous warnings from the International Court of Justice and UN resolutions demanding Israel end its occupation have largely gone unheeded.
The UN General Assembly resolution of 18 September 2024 called for Israel to end its unlawful occupation within 12 months and urged member states not to support illegal settlement activities. Callamard stressed that these directives must be translated into tangible measures by states and corporations alike to ensure compliance with international law and to halt ongoing violations against Palestinians.
The background to Microsoft’s decision stems from investigative reports revealing that Unit 8200, Israel’s elite military intelligence unit, used Azure Cloud to collect, store, and analyze millions of civilian phone calls from Gaza and the West Bank. This mass surveillance targeted the Palestinian population and was part of broader military intelligence operations. Amnesty International’s September 2025 briefing called on states, companies, and institutions to increase pressure on Israel to end the genocide in Gaza, its unlawful occupation, and the system of apartheid affecting Palestinians. The briefing also identified 15 companies contributing to these unlawful actions, highlighting the role of private sector accountability in upholding human rights.
