ICSPR Ongoing Collusion by Major Corporations and Technological Support to the Occupying State Constitute Complicity in Genocide and a Systematic Violation of the Principles of International Humanitarian Law

Date: May 25, 2025

Press Release

ICSPR: Ongoing Collusion by Major Corporations and Technological Support to the Occupying State Constitute Complicity in Genocide and a Systematic Violation of the Principles of International Humanitarian Law

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) is deeply concerned about technology companies profiting from providing technical support to the occupying state, thereby facilitating the crime of genocide and the suppression of Palestinian content. According to information available to the Commission, as reported by The Verge, new details have emerged regarding the aggressive campaign targeting the Palestinian cause by Microsoft, which has shown alliance with the occupying state from the onset of the genocide and continues to do so.

Inside Microsoft, emails containing keywords such as Gaza, Palestine, and genocide have reportedly been blocked, clearly marginalizing Palestinian content and concealing the daily suffering from global view—an explicit partnership and collusion in covering up the crimes of the Israeli occupation, especially the ongoing genocide now in its 19th month in the Gaza Strip.

Furthermore, Microsoft continues its alliance with the occupation by approving deals worth no less than $10 million to provide hours of technical support and develop artificial intelligence engines in line with the ongoing military operation. In this context, Microsoft has facilitated wide access to ChatGPT and OpenAI in partnership with the developers of AI tools, integrating these tools with platforms such as Crulian Stone and Azure. These platforms have also been invested in for military services and have been used by various Israeli military intelligence units, including Unit 8200 and Unit 81, which specialize in surveillance technology. This enables the army to achieve more targets in significantly less time, with AI allowing the identification of more than 100 targets per day—compared to 50 per year in the past.

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) strongly condemns the collaboration of tech companies with the occupying state and their provision of technical support to commit genocide. This represents a blatant deviation from the core principle that prohibits the use of any technological product or industrial development to serve military interests of occupying forces committing mass killings and civilian genocide. This conduct disregards the principles of distinction, proportionality, and humanity, which are fundamental tenets of international humanitarian law, as well as breaches basic human rights standards.

Accordingly, ICSPR records and demands the following:

• ICSPR calls on the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry to open a serious investigation into the role of AI companies in committing crimes against civilians in Gaza, including compelling these companies to grant access to algorithm data and associated platforms.

• ICSPR urges the International Criminal Court to open an investigation into crimes committed using AI technologies, and to expand its jurisdiction to hold accountable the non-state actors supporting such crimes, including private companies.

• ICSPR demands that the Palestinian government prosecute tech companies for their role in supporting the Israeli occupation in its genocide campaign.

• ICSPR calls on the United Nations and international human rights organizations to hold these tech companies accountable for providing software and services to the Israeli occupation forces that contribute to war crimes and genocide.

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