An investigation by the Associated Press has revealed that the Israeli occupation army received substantial support from Microsoft and OpenAI during its genocidal war on Gaza. This support contributed to the massacre of tens of thousands of Palestinians and widespread destruction across the besieged enclave.
The report, published last Tuesday, exposed major flaws in the artificial intelligence (AI) systems used by the Israeli army during the war on Gaza—flaws that could result in the killing of innocent civilians.
The Israeli occupation’s use of AI technology in its attacks on Lebanon and the genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, has come under heavy criticism for its inability to distinguish between civilian and military targets, making it a war crime.
Despite this, the occupation continues to receive extensive support from American AI companies, particularly through systems such as “Habsora” and “Lavender”, which are used to monitor and target civilians.
Microsoft and OpenAI Directly Powering Israel’s War Machine
The investigation analyzed data from Microsoft and OpenAI and interviewed Israeli officials to determine the extent of the occupation army’s reliance on AI.
According to Israeli sources, errors in AI-based targeting systems are extremely difficult to detect, as they are used alongside other intelligence forms, including human intelligence. These errors can lead to the unjustified killing of civilians.
The investigation further revealed that Israel’s military intelligence relies on mass surveillance technology powered by AI to collect data. This includes recording and translating phone calls, text messages, and voicemails, according to an Israeli intelligence officer interviewed by the agency.
The report also highlighted that Microsoft’s Azure cloud services were used to scan large volumes of text data to track individuals giving instructions to others, allowing the Israeli military to pinpoint their locations and target them using AI-driven operations.
Artificial Intelligence Used to Justify War Crimes
Documents reviewed by the Associated Press confirm that since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation has extensively used OpenAI models, alongside speech recognition and translation technologies.
While the Israeli army claims that AI-generated translations are reviewed by Arabic-speaking personnel, an Israeli official admitted to the high risk of misinterpretation.
He cited an example where an Arabic term describing the grip of a rocket launcher was mistakenly translated as “push.” The misinterpretation went unnoticed, leading to a false identification of a civilian as a military target.
Additionally, data added to individual profiles were often inaccurate, with the system wrongfully identifying around 1,000 high school students as potential militants.
Officials also warned that AI could mistakenly mark a house as a Hamas-affiliated target, even if the individual no longer resides there, making it a wrongful target for Israeli airstrikes.
Dramatic Surge in AI Usage to Kill Palestinians
According to the investigation, the Israeli occupation’s reliance on AI from Microsoft and OpenAI increased by 200 times in March 2024 compared to pre-October 7 levels.
The amount of military data stored on Microsoft’s servers doubled between March and July 2024, reaching 13.6 petabytes. Additionally, Israel’s use of Microsoft cloud services surged by 66% within just two months after the October 7 attacks.
Former OpenAI executive Heidi Khalaf confirmed the findings, stating:
“This is the first solid evidence we have of commercial AI models being directly used in warfare.”
The report also emphasized that among all U.S. tech companies, Microsoft holds an especially close relationship with the Israeli military, a bond that has strengthened significantly since October 7, 2023.
Leaked documents reveal that Microsoft signed a three-year, $133 million contract with the Israeli Ministry of War in 2021, making the occupation its second-largest military client after the United States.
American-Backed Genocide: The Numbers Speak
With unwavering U.S. support, the Israeli occupation committed genocide in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and January 19, 2025. The massacre has resulted in:
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- Over 160,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, most of whom are women and children.
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- More than 14,000 missing, with many presumed buried under the rubble.
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- Unprecedented destruction of homes, hospitals, and essential infrastructure.
Tech Giants Complicit in War Crimes
This investigation solidifies the role of U.S. tech giants in enabling Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.
Microsoft and OpenAI are not merely technology providers—they are active participants in war crimes, supplying the Israeli occupation with AI-driven tools to monitor, target, and kill innocent civilians in Gaza.
The world must hold these corporations accountable for their complicity in genocide and demand an end to their direct support for Israeli war crimes.
