Microsoft Deepens Military Ties with Israel Amid Gaza Conflict

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Leaked documents reveal that Microsoft has significantly expanded its partnership with the Israeli military during the recent escalation of violence in Gaza. Since the outbreak of conflict on October 7, 2023, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have increasingly relied on Microsoft’s cloud computing and artificial intelligence services to support their military operations.

According to an investigation conducted by The Guardian and other media outlets, the Israeli military entered into contracts worth approximately $10 million for technical support, acquiring thousands of hours of service to meet a surge in demand for data storage and computing power. The files indicate that Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform has been utilized across various branches of the IDF, including air, ground, and naval forces, as well as intelligence units like Unit 8200.

The Israeli military's reliance on cloud technology has grown dramatically, with documented consumption of Azure services increasing by 60% in the months following the onset of hostilities. Microsoft has also provided access to OpenAI’s GPT-4 model, which has reportedly been employed for intelligence analysis during the conflict.

Despite the rising scrutiny over the role of tech companies in military operations, Microsoft has declined to comment on its engagements with the Israeli military. The IDF and Israel's defense ministry also refrained from providing specific details regarding the nature of the support.

The integration of high-tech services into military operations underscores the increasingly blurred line between civilian and military technologies, raising ethical questions about the implications of such partnerships amid accusations of human rights violations during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

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