Latest news with #YossiSariel
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
How Israel used Microsoft technology to spy on Palestinians
Yossi Sariel was in charge of one of the branches of Israel's intelligence agency. When he took over Unit 8200 he arrived with ambitious plans – to use tech to change the way intelligence was gathered and analysed. The Guardian's Harry Davies tells Nosheen Iqbal about an investigation he carried out with Yuval Abraham, the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 magazine and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call. It found Sariel had a plan to transfer large amounts of Unit 8200's data, including top-secret information, into Microsoft's cloud platform, which is called Azure. Having this much data storage would allow Sariel to fulfil his plans to carry out mass surveillance on Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Microsoft says it did not know what it was storing and that there is no evidence linking its technologies to the targeting or harm of civilians. But what exactly did Microsoft agreed to … and how might that data be used to target Palestinians?
The Journal
07-08-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Questions for Ireland as investigation reveals Microsoft data centre use by Israeli military
MICROSOFT IS PROVIDING cloud storage services to Israel's military intelligence agency, Unit 8200, according to a major investigation by the Guardian. 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. Advertisement 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. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Asharq Al-Awsat
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
‘We Acted Arrogantly': Israel Presents Some Findings of Its Oct. 7 Investigations
The Israeli army started presenting part of the findings of its investigation into the Hamas attack on the Nahal Oz military outpost on October 7, 2023. The probe concluded that the Nahal Oz base has become a clear symbol of the army's 'neglect and security failure' on that day. The delayed military response and security lapses led to the killing of 53 Israeli soldiers and the capture of 10 others from the Nahal Oz outpost, situated less than one kilometer from the Gaza border, the investigations showed. The official findings of the probe are to be presented to relevant families and then made available to the public. They mainly revealed that prior to the attack, soldiers at the Nahal Oz outpost say their warnings about suspicious Hamas activity were repeatedly ignored. 'We acted arrogantly' According to the investigation, Hamas collected accurate intelligence data about Nahal Oz and the Yiftach military base from afar for years prior to launching the deadly assault and was intimately familiar with the layout of the bases and their vulnerabilities. The probe showed that the Israeli political leadership had ignored the military threats prior to the attack. Speaking to a forum of senior officers, Brig. Gen. Yossi Sariel, head of the military intelligence Unit 8200 said: 'We, and I above all others, did not do our duty, did not learn the lesson and acted arrogantly.' The investigations showed that Hamas had detailed knowledge of the layout of the Nahal Oz base, including the locations of various rooms, guard positions, and the areas with lighter security. Timing of the attack According to the probe, Hamas assumed that the timing of the attack should be on a religious holiday or weekend, because fewer forces remain on the base at those times. The night before the attack, at 6:00 pm, Hamas gave its fighters instructions on how to attack the base, and the squad commanders began preparations. Warning signs had emerged on that night, but were ignored by the military leaderships. Senior officers alerted to the unusual movement concluded that there was no need to send troops down to the border. The investigations found that at the time of the assault, only one guard was stationed at the front gate. Although there were double the number of Israeli soldiers than Hamas gunmen, they lacked firepower and weapons. Also, had troops been instructed to take up their positions, 'the battle picture would have looked different,' the report said. The probe showed that Hamas was able to easily kill large groups of Israeli soldiers who had gathered in bomb shelters, according to their plan. Timeline At 6:30 am, the attack began. Around 65 Hamas fighters stormed the base, located 800 meters from the border with Gaza. There were 162 soldiers stationed at the base, 90 of whom were armed, with 81 combat soldiers. At 6:45 am, the deputy battalion commander was wounded shortly after the attack started, and the first wave of Hamas fighters infiltrated the post 20 minutes later. At 7:30 am, Israeli soldiers were unable to repel the attackers. Ten minutes later, an Israeli army armored personnel carrier arrived with a company commander, marking the first military use of vehicles during the attack. At 7:50 am, the Israeli forces were preparing for a counterattack, but by 8:20 am, part of the force was ambushed and killed, disrupting the counteroffensive. At 8:53 am, Hamas fighters managed to destroy an Israeli tank that was stationed at the site. At 9:00 am, a second wave of approximately 50 Hamas fighters arrived at the site. At 10:00 am, a third wave of 100 more fighters entered the base. At noon, the operations room was burned. At 2:00 pm, the rescue forces arrive to evacuate the wounded. At 8:00 pm, the base was completely cleared of Israeli forces.
