US technology giant Microsoft on Thursday, September 25, suspended specific cloud and artificial intelligence services provided to a unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD), following an internal investigation into alleged misuse tied to the surveillance of Palestinian civilians.

The decision comes in response to reporting by The Guardian on August 6 , which claimed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to store data collected through mass surveillance in Gaza and the West Bank .

In a company-wide message , Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith confirmed the action and outlined the principles behind the move.

“We do not provide technology to facilitate mass surveillance of civilians,” Smith said, reaffirming Microsof

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