A former Microsoft employee in Italy has publicly accused the technology company of helping to facilitate Israeli military operations in Palestine, prompting renewed debate over the role of major technology firms in armed conflicts.
Nour, who worked as a Critical Environment Technician at a Microsoft data centre in Italy for nearly two years, announced his resignation in a mass email sent to thousands of Microsoft employees across Europe on June 26. In the message, he alleged that Microsoft’s expanding network of European data centres has played a significant role in supporting Israeli military surveillance operations targeting Palestinians.
In his letter, Nour claimed that Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence technologies have been used by the Israeli military during the ongoing war in Gaza. He accused the company of profiting from conflict while exploiting workers and natural resources to support military operations.
“For the past 994 days, Microsoft has powered the genocide of our people in Palestine, with its European data centres playing a key role in enabling crimes against humanity,” the letter alleged.
The former employee referred to reports published in 2025 alleging that Microsoft data centres in the Netherlands and Ireland stored large amounts of intercepted Palestinian communications data. According to those reports, the data was used for intelligence gathering, military targeting and the development of artificial intelligence systems.
Nour also alleged that Microsoft transferred data from European servers to Israel after details of the surveillance programme became public. He further criticised the hosting of the Al-Munasseq application, which Palestinians use to navigate Israel’s permit system, on Microsoft infrastructure.
In his message, Nour called on Microsoft employees to resist what he described as the company’s involvement in war and surveillance activities. He cited previous employee protests and campaigns that challenged Microsoft’s contracts with Israeli security agencies.
Microsoft denies surveillance claims, cites policy compliance and legal review
Microsoft has repeatedly rejected claims that its technology is used to facilitate civilian surveillance. Following reports published in 2025, the company conducted an internal review and later commissioned an external legal assessment.
Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company found no evidence that its Azure cloud services had been used to harm civilians. He also confirmed that Microsoft had discontinued certain services provided to a unit within Israel’s Defence Ministry.
The company has maintained that it does not knowingly provide technology for civilian surveillance and that any actions taken were consistent with its policies and terms of service.
