A coalition of international legal and advocacy groups has raised serious concerns that Microsoft could face criminal and civil liability for its involvement with the Israeli military during the ongoing genocidal war in Gaza. According to a detailed letter sent to the company, its cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and data-processing services have allegedly been used to facilitate attacks and surveillance of Palestinian civilians.

Investigators and human-rights defenders argue that Microsoft’s technology has been integrated into Israeli operations, enabling the identification of targets, extensive monitoring of communications, and large-scale data collection on the population in Gaza and the West Bank. Reports indicate that intercepted phone calls and other sensitive information were stored on Microsoft servers in Europe, raising questions over compliance with EU data protection laws. The letter warns that the company could be implicated in grave violations, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Since October 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed tens of thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, and inflicted widespread injuries. The groups claim that Microsoft’s rapid expansion of cloud services to the Israeli military during the conflict facilitated these operations, allowing military intelligence units to store vast quantities of intercepted communications and conduct surveillance on millions. Following international pressure, some access to cloud and AI services was reportedly restricted, but advocacy organisations stress that the company still bears responsibility for enabling ongoing violations.

Legal experts note that European and American law holds corporations accountable if their services materially contribute to atrocity crimes or unlawful surveillance. Complaints have been filed highlighting Microsoft’s alleged role in erasing evidence of surveillance from European servers, which could hinder investigations into international law violations and obstruct accountability for atrocities in Gaza.