The role of Big Tech in modern warfare has come under intense scrutiny as revelations emerge about how U.S. tech giants are aiding Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. A recent investigation published by +972 Magazine and Local Call has unveiled that Israel’s military, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), is using cloud storage and artificial intelligence (AI) services provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. This partnership has led to the deployment of advanced technologies in what many critics around the world call Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza.
The investigation details how the IDF is utilizing cloud services from Amazon, Google, and Microsoft to store data collected from mass surveillance operations in Gaza. These technologies, particularly the AI capabilities provided by these companies, are being used to conduct and refine aerial strikes, many of which have resulted in civilian casualties. The collaboration between the IDF and AWS is especially close, with sources confirming that Amazon’s cloud services have even been used to confirm aerial assassination strikes in Gaza, further escalating the human toll of the conflict.
IDF Colonel Racheli Dembinsky, speaking at an “IT for IDF” event near Tel Aviv, emphasized that the “most important” advantage of these cloud services is the advanced AI capabilities they offer. AI, she explained, provides the IDF with “very significant operational effectiveness,” a chilling acknowledgment given the scale of destruction in Gaza.
The use of AI in warfare is not new for the IDF. Last year, investigative journalist Yuval Abraham revealed that the IDF was using AI to select targets in Gaza, effectively creating what a former Israeli officer described as a “mass assassination factory.” This AI-driven approach, combined with the vast data storage and processing capabilities of Big Tech’s cloud services, has transformed the IDF’s operations into a technologically sophisticated—and devastatingly lethal—campaign.
This troubling collaboration is rooted in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract signed in 2021 between the Israeli government and the tech giants Amazon and Google. This contract, which provides cloud services to the Israeli government and military, has sparked widespread outrage and led to the #NoTechForApartheid campaign. This campaign, supported by tech workers and numerous advocacy groups, decries the role of Big Tech in facilitating what they describe as Israel’s apartheid policies and human rights violations.
Despite internal protests and significant public backlash, the tech giants have continued their involvement in Project Nimbus. Earlier this year, Google fired 50 employees who had protested the company’s role in the project. This move has further fueled criticism that these corporations are prioritizing profits over ethical considerations, even as their technologies are used in ways that contribute to widespread human suffering.
IDF Colonel Avi Dadon candidly admitted that tech companies are eager to work with the IDF because it serves as a strong marketing tool. “What the IDF uses was and will be one of the best selling points of products and services in the world,” Dadon said. This statement underscores the deep entanglement of corporate interests with military operations, raising serious ethical concerns about the motivations behind these partnerships.
The involvement of Big Tech in Israel’s military actions raises significant legal and ethical questions. Google, for instance, has publicly committed to AI principles that prohibit the use of its technology in ways that cause harm, facilitate injury, or violate international human rights standards. However, its participation in Project Nimbus and its apparent support for the IDF’s operations in Gaza directly contradict these principles.
The lack of transparency from these companies further complicates the situation. Human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch have criticized Google and Amazon for not disclosing the extent of their involvement in Israeli military operations or conducting adequate human rights due diligence before signing onto Project Nimbus. “Neither company has publicly disclosed what, if any, human rights due diligence they carried out before participating in Project Nimbus,” said Zach Campbell, a digital rights expert at Human Rights Watch.
This investigation highlights a disturbing trend where advanced technologies are increasingly being used in military operations, with little regard for the ethical implications. The United States has long provided military aid to Israel, but the involvement of Big Tech adds a new dimension to this support, blending civilian technology with military might in ways that are deeply troubling.
Corporate responsibility in conflict zones is a growing concern, as companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft wield significant influence over how wars are waged. Their technologies, designed for civilian use, are being repurposed to enhance military operations, raising questions about the role of corporations in modern warfare and the moral responsibility they bear.
“It’s more than complicity: it’s direct participation and collaboration with the Israeli military on the tools they’re using to kill Palestinians,” said Tariq Kenney-Shawa, U.S. policy fellow at the Palestinian think tank Al-Shabaka.
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