Questions for Ireland as investigation reveals Microsoft data centre use by Israeli military
The report reveals that Unit 8200 uses Microsoft's Azure cloud platform to store millions of Palestinian phone calls every day.
Some of this data is held in Microsoft data centres in Ireland and the Netherlands.
The system, which has been operating since 2022, archives large volumes of audio recordings and phone calls from Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank.
Leaked Microsoft documents and Israeli military sources say this information has been used to plan military operations, including airstrikes.
Microsoft denies any involvement in spying on civilians.
A spokesperson in Ireland said the company's work with Unit 8200 focuses solely on improving cybersecurity and protecting against cyber threats.
They added that Microsoft was never aware of, or involved in, surveillance of civilians, a position supported by an external review commissioned earlier this year.
However, the spokesperson did not comment on the specific role of Irish data centres in storing Unit 8200's data.
Microsoft employs about 6,000 people in Ireland.
Microsoft's data centre at Grange Park in Dublin.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
The Guardian's report also reveals that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella met with Unit 8200 commander Yossi Sariel in late 2021 to discuss using a dedicated section of the Azure cloud for Israeli military data.
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While Nadella supported the idea of moving large amounts of data to the cloud, Microsoft says he was not informed about the exact nature of the information.
Leaked files show that by July 2025, around 11,500 terabytes (equivalent to 200 million hours of audio) were stored mainly in Microsoft's Netherlands data centres, with about 1% held in Ireland.
Although a small proportion, this still amounts to nearly 2 million hours of audio.
Unit 8200 is Israel's top military intelligence unit, similar to the US National Security Agency.
It turned to Microsoft after its own servers lacked the capacity to store and process the vast amount of surveillance data.
The system captures millions of phone calls from ordinary Palestinians, many civilians, indiscriminately.
Some Israeli military sources have admitted this data has been used to identify targets for strikes, despite Microsoft's insistence that its technology is not intended for lethal targeting.
The project expanded under Sariel's leadership, who resigned in September 2024 following criticism over intelligence failures related to the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.
'Facilitating crimes against humanity'
Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has criticised the Irish government for allowing data centres here to play a role in Israeli military operations.
She called it 'beyond appalling' that 'a key part of Israel's genocidal operations is being prepared and processed on Irish soil.'
Boylan warned this raises serious questions about Ireland's responsibility to prevent genocide and uphold international law, and the wisdom of hosting so many data centres here in the first place.
The same government who rolled out the red carpet for data centres has allowed them to play a role in facilitating crimes against humanity – damaging our position as a neutral state in the process.
She urged the government to act immediately to stop Irish data centres from contributing to 'the targeted killing of innocent Palestinians,' saying 'upholding international law is more important than a free hand for data centres to operate here as they see fit.'
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has been contacted for comment.
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