Big Tech companies face allegations of war crimes complicity amid Israel’s war in Gaza
Since October 2023, the Resource Centre has been actively monitoring the role of technology companies in affecting human rights during the ongoing war in Gaza. In addition to our recent publication, where we contacted Cisco to respond to concerns about its role in Israeli military operations, recent reports have raised growing concerns about tech companies’ potential complicity in violations of international humanitarian law in the context of Israel’s war on Gaza.
For instance, The Nation published an article alleging that Palantir has been supplying the Israeli military with advanced and powerful targeting capabilities, implicating the company in facilitating mass civilian deaths in Gaza.
The Cradle published another article raising concerns about the potential complicity of both Palantir and Starlink. According to the article, “Palantir’s arsenal of technological tools – akin to digital weapons of mass destruction – is currently being deployed by the occupation army, leaving no doubt about the company’s complicity in the ongoing genocide.” Regarding Starlink, the article alleged that the company’s approval for use in Gaza may have supported military operations, potentially enabling the Israeli forces’ brutal siege of Al-Shifa Hospital, which reportedly resulted in civilian deaths and widespread destruction.
The Intercept revealed that Israel’s leading state-owned weapons firms are required to use Google and Amazon for cloud services. According to AP News, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have provided advanced AI and cloud infrastructure to the Israeli military, facilitating lethal operations in Gaza and Lebanon. A military presentation cited in the AP News report prominently featured the logos of Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Amazon Web Services—suggesting heavy reliance on these platforms during the conflict. Services from Amazon and Google are primarily delivered under Project Nimbus, with involvement reportedly intensifying after October 7, 2023. Similarly, The Guardian reported that Microsoft expanded its collaboration with the Israeli military post-October 7, supplying Azure cloud services, AI technologies, and intelligence support. An investigation by +972 Magazine also highlighted the role of major tech firms in supporting Israeli military operations—an ongoing conflict currently under scrutiny by international courts for alleged war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Furhter concerns arose from The Washington Post, which revealed that Google Cloud employees had worked directly with the IDF to deliver AI tools, contradicting Google's public claim of working only with civilian agencies. The Guardian also reported that Israel’s Unit 8200 developed a ChatGPT-like model using intercepted Palestinian data, with assistance from tech employees on military reserve duty at Google, Meta, and Microsoft.
According to Anadolu Agency, experts have warned that the integration of AI into Israeli military operations supported by Google, Microsoft, and Amazon "is fueling concerns over the normalization of mass civilian casualties and raising serious questions about the complicity of these firms in potential war crimes".
Additionally, Microsoft has reportedly provided the Israeli military with large-scale access to OpenAI’s GPT-4 model. According to internal documents, the Israeli military's use of OpenAI’s artificial intelligence has significantly increased since October 2023, particularly during the most intensive phase of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. These systems have allegedly been involved in targeting decisions and lethal operations, raising further concerns about the normalization of mass civilian deaths and the role of these companies in potential violations of international law.
Employee dissent has surfaced within these companies. Staff at Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Palantir have publicly questioned their employers’ roles in facilitating AI-driven warfare, citing possible complicity in war crimes. Most recently, Microsoft employees confronted company leadership during its 50th anniversary event, protesting and voicing Microsoft's alleged complicity in genocide.
In light of these reports, the Resource Centre invited Amazon, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Palantir, and Starlink to respond to allegations of potential complicity in international humanitarian law violations in the context of Israel’s war in Gaza and on the steps taken to address grave human rights and humanitarian law violations. Only Palantir responded.
Update: On 15 May 2025, Microsoft issued a statement confirming that it provides cloud and artificial intelligence services to Israel’s Defense Ministry, while denying that its tools were used to harm civilians in Gaza.