The IDF and the Defense Ministry have long worked with Microsoft, not only in cloud computing but also in IT systems, enterprise software, cybersecurity, and development tools. Microsoft operates major research and development centers in Israel, some of which are tied to cloud and AI solutions, making the partnership strategically significant both for Israel's tech sector and for the IDF, particularly Unit 8200.

In late 2021, then-Unit 8200 commander Maj. Gen. Yossi Sariel met with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at the company's headquarters in Seattle. The meeting aimed to advance cooperation on transferring vast amounts of sensitive intelligence, including recorded calls, to Microsoft's servers in Europe, mainly in the Netherlands and Ireland. Azure's immense storage capacity enabled the unit to handle data at a scale not possible with existing military servers.

What does the decision mean in practice?

Unit 8200 has lost access to Microsoft's large-scale data processing capabilities, including AI-powered analysis tools.

Even so, Microsoft remains a key supplier to the IDF. The restrictions apply primarily to cloud and AI services that were used for broad surveillance.

Since the start of the current war, the IDF has increased its reliance on cloud and AI technologies to process enormous amounts of data: phone intercepts, video from drones, satellite imagery, and footage from surveillance cameras. Azure's advantage was not only storage but also real-time processing and advanced models for pattern recognition, target identification, and large-scale communications analysis.

Shifting to another cloud provider, reportedly Amazon Web Services, will require time and technical effort, but analysts say it is unlikely to paralyze Unit 8200's intelligence-gathering capabilities. In the short term, however, there could be a drop in the efficiency of intelligence analysis, which is used to prepare strikes in Gaza.

This marks the first time an American technology corporation has cut off services to the IDF since the Gaza fighting began. Microsoft's decision followed pressure from employees, investors, and human rights groups, signaling a growing sensitivity among US tech firms over the military use of their platforms.

The fact that sensitive intelligence data was stored on Microsoft's servers in Europe, especially in the Netherlands, further complicated matters and raised legal questions, both with the European Union under its GDPR privacy regulations and with other partners.

The larger question is whether other companies, such as Amazon or Google, will follow suit. If so, Israel's defense establishment may face serious challenges relying on Western technology corporations, which are subject to political pressure, public opinion, and US law.

The "Spartan model"

Israel is expected to find technological alternatives to Microsoft's services. But the company's move highlights the extent of the IDF's reliance on foreign tech giants and international cloud infrastructure for intelligence and combat operations. It also bolsters Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent argument, made in a widely cited speech earlier this month, that Israel must develop self-sufficiency in security-related industries.

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The unit, similar to the American government's National Security Agency in the Pentagon, is Israel's elite signal intelligence arm and has been credited with major successes in the ongoing war – including against Hezbollah and Iran – despite the major lapses during the run up to the Oct. 7.

The Hamas attempt to breach the unit came after an online cleaning services tender was posted for one of Unit 8200's facilities. Technical intelligence materiel seized in Gaza during later IDF activities revealed that Hamas had discovered this cleaning tender and used it as a potential pathway to access the Unit 8200 installation.

The tender was immediately put on hold and the IDF issued directives to strengthen protocols for military publications on public internet platforms.

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Brigadier General Yossi Sariel, the commander of Israeli Intelligence Unit 8200, informed the IDF Chief of Staff today (Thursday) of his decision to step down from his role.

In a letter distributed within the unit, Sariel wrote, "On October 7, I did not fulfill the mission as I expected of myself, nor as my subordinates, superiors, and the citizens of Israel expected of me. I am seeking to fulfill my personal responsibility as the commander of the unit, and at a time determined by my superiors, I will pass the baton to the next in line."

Sariel went on to detail the initial investigation conducted within the unit "on our role in the intelligence failure of October 7" and the unit's activities during the war. He concluded by mentioning the benchmarks he set for himself, which led to his decision to pass on "the baton in this relay race." These included "the state of war in various sectors, the resilience and operational continuity of the unit in particular, and Military Intelligence in general, as well as the investigation processes meant to clearly identify the necessary corrections and changes we must undertake."

He conceded that he failed in his basic role of sounding the alarm across the board in the case of an imminent threat of war, which could have spared the lives of more than 1,000 Israeli residents murdered on Oct. 7. "The detailed information we collected and distributed to the various agencies about Hamas' plans and preparations failed to shatter the basic intelligence and military assumptions, neither within the unit nor among our partners. We did not bring the intelligence gold that would could determin the H-hour for the attack."

Sariel's name made headlines earlier this year in an embarrassing context, after the British newspaper The Guardian revealed his identity due to a "significant security breach," as the report described it. According to The Guardian, Sariel published a book on Amazon under the pseudonym "Brigadier General YS" titled The Human Machine Team. Its publication led to the exposure of a private Google account under his name, including a unique ID and links to maps on that account.

With this decision, Sariel joins other senior IDF officials who have resigned following the failure to protect Israel on October 7, 2023. Before him, Military Intelligence Chief Major General Aharon Haliva stepped down in August this year, and the head of the Research Division, Amit Saar, resigned after a malignant tumor was discovered in his body.

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The blue door opened, and a senior officer declared a moratorium on leave. A., then a young intelligence analyst in charge of the Syrian theater, was just about to go home on a 72-hour leave after 11 days on base, in accordance with the usual military leave regulations.

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"A few hours later I was sitting at a briefing, and I was shocked by what was about to happen. If the people of Israel had been aware of what was going on, they would have said – wow," he tells Israel Hayom.

Now A. is 36, serving as a major in Intelligence Unit 8200 and in charge of recruiting Druze to the unit. "I stayed on base for another two weeks, then went home for 48 hours for a change of clothes, then stayed another two weeks. All in all, I spent six weeks on base, and I did it happily. When you're busy doing such meaningful things, everything else pales in comparison."

What exactly was being done that required him to such devotion? A. can't say exactly. He just describes, with shining eyes: "It's something that has an influence on Israel to this day. It's a terrible threat that could have materialized. I can't describe in words the feeling of satisfaction you get when you achieve a strategic hit against an enemy."

He grew up in a Druze village in the north, the youngest son in the family. His older brother served in the Armored Corps; A. ended up in the Intelligence Corps by chance.

"I got a phone call telling me I was placed in Intelligence. I had no idea what that meant," he says.

In 2003, together with four other young Druze, A. was recruited to the unit responsible for collecting intelligence and deciphering codes – a unit he had never heard of. "We were pioneers. Until then, Druze hadn't been involved in the heart of intelligence work. They'd be recruited to serve on a designated base in the north, which has closed in the meantime."

During boot camp and in his first period at the unit, when he was asked his name he would alter the pronunciation so it wouldn't sound Druze. Today, he pronounces his name proudly, using the correct Arabic pronunciation. "It took me a while to take pride in being Druze. That happened after I realized how indispensable I was to the unit. Suddenly people are coming to your room when you're not on shift and asking you for help.

"You realize that if it isn't you, there's no one else. Others in the unit trust you, they ask for your opinion. That's not something I was familiar with in the culture in which I grew up. At the unit they ask you to instruct, train, develop a plan, correct someone else. When was I ever treated like that before?"

In addition to discovering his hidden talents, A. also improved his Hebrew. If at first he would think in Arabic, translate it to Hebrew mentally, and hesitate before opening his mouth to speak, today he speaks fluently and confidently and his Hebrew his eloquent. While serving, he completed a BA and an MA in political science, married a girl from his village, and together they're raising twins, now seven years old.

Nine years ago, he left the on-the-ground intelligence work and took on a new role: scouting, recruiting, and selecting Druze for the unit and mentoring them.  When I ask if after accomplishing the "nuclear reactor" mission in Syria he decided to find other challenges, he smiles involuntarily, but doesn't answer the first part of the question.

"My goal is for every young Druze to hear about 8200 before enlisting, so he doesn't end up there by chance, like I did. Succeeding in that is just as satisfying as cracking any code."

Over the years, A. developed a wide network of contacts in the Druze community, and today he is often approached by young Druze about to be drafted and their parents. His name is whispered in admiration and his mobile phone number is passed around as a safe contact for consultation and assistance before joining the army.

He delivers lectures at Druze high schools, teaching youth about the advantages of serving in the unit, responds to youngsters who call him up even late at night, and is well-acquainted with school principals and parents of students. He also works to maintain good relations between the community's leaders and the unit's commanders.

Once a year, on the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha), the commander of Unit 8200 visits Sheikh Muafak Tarif, leader of the Druze community. Next, the commander visits the home of one of the unit's Druze soldiers, whom he awards a certificate of excellence. Thanks to A.'s intensive activity, within a decade the number of Druze serving in 8200 has doubled. For this achievement, he recently received an award from the Chief of Military Intelligence.

A. continues to accompany the young soldiers throughout their service in the unit, as deputy commander in charge of all the Druze soldiers. They go to him with any problem, seeing him as a kind of father figure. "I listen to them, understand their difficulties and try to push them forward, to study, to complete a BA and an MA as the unit encourages them to do, to go on to serve as officers and in more senior positions.

"Today, the most senior rank any Druze holds in the unit is major, like me. My dream is to see the youngsters I recruited overtake me. There's nothing that would give me greater satisfaction. A few years ago, I went to shop for groceries at a fruit market in one of the villages. At one of the stands, the seller was a teen who recognized me, like a lot of Druze recognize me on the street.

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"He said he was interested in the Intelligence Corps and we exchanged phone numbers. He passed the selection process and today he's career army, soon to complete an MA. He's one of the most devoted soldiers in the unit and he makes a major contribution to the state. The boy who once sold fruit in the market now has a toolbox that will help him support a family and succeed in civilian life. I believe a day will come when 8200 will have a Druze commander."

The advantage of a young Druze in the intelligence arena is not just that Arabic is his mother tongue, but that he understands all the region's different dialects. "Every young Druze knows the Syrian, Lebanese, Palestinian, and Egyptian dialects, because we watch TV series from those countries."

A. describes the problems young Druze face in the unit. He says that alongside linguistic and cultural misunderstandings, the distance of the bases from home is a challenge. "Some of the intelligence bases are located at the far away in the south, and some of the Druze villages are far away in the north. It isn't easy travelling four hours in each direction.

"The unit tries to help with rides and make it easier for soldiers serving far from home. The vast majority of young Druze don't leave their villages. I can't even imagine leaving, either."

Another difficulty is that soldiers in the unit are sworn to secrecy and can't share the details of their work with friends and family members. "Everyone wants to brag and show off what a hero he is, but in this unit you have to keep your mouth shut. There were many times when I sat with family or friends who were analyzing the situation in the Middle East, and sometimes the conversation is about classified events that were published abroad. You sit there, staring or looking at your phone and you can't voice an opinion. You can't confirm, you can't smile."

Q: But when I asked you about a reactor in Syria you smiled.

"I smiled? No, I didn't. I smiled because it wasn't true," he elegantly sidesteps the question.

One of the things A. says he discovered in the unit was the culture of reading. He was in command of 30 soldiers, and he noticed that between shifts, they would all read books. "I realized they were so talented and successful because they read, and I started reading too. That curiosity that leads you to investigate things, to never take things for granted, is a very important asset that I was less familiar with growing up, and is very characteristic of the unit."

A. shows off his very well-developed back for the camera. Not the kind of muscles you would expect from the typical 8200 nerd. A. laughs, but explains that he began researching sports and nutrition – thanks to the curiosity he acquired in the unit. He gets up at 5 a.m. for an hour of crossfit exercise, then usually works out again for another hour in the evening.

When he retires from the army ("a very, very long time from now, as far as I'm concerned I can stay in this position forever") he dreams of becoming a school principal, or doing some other job working with young Druze. "The satisfaction in this field is immense. It isn't always easy. During the period when the youngsters are getting their test results – I'm under a lot of stress. The ones who don't pass the selection process, I go on helping them find other units in the army. I explain that no one is better than anyone else, but that everyone has something special to contribute and needs to find the right place for themselves."

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Forty-eight years after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, never-before-seen images of the IDF's 8200 intelligence unit at work during the fighting in the Sinai Peninsula have been made public.

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IDF forces were battling to stop the Egyptian army's advance. Israel suffered heavy casualties.

They received help from the 8200 personnel stationed at Babylon Base, located 40 km. (25 miles) from the Suez Canal. The unit was charged with listening in on the Egyptian military, locating anti-aircraft radars.

See more images here

The 8200 base operated around the clock to provide rapid, high-quality intelligence for Israel as the fighting continued. The technology was cutting-edge for its time, and Israel did not want to reveal its qualitative edge. For decades, the images now being published were classified.

The pictures show a team of wireless operators who were fluent in Arabic and had been briefed on how to tune in and analyze Egyptian military communications. The base also recorded reports which were transferred to the IDF's Southern Command.

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Palestinians were demanding the resignation of the director of the Gazan branch of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Matthias Schmale, following an interview with Israel's Channel 12 News in which he said Israeli airstrikes appeared to be "precise."

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His remarks elicited a torrent of criticism on Twitter.

"I have the impression that there is a huge sophistication in the way the Israeli military struck over the last 11 days, so that's not my issue," Schmale said. He went onto say that "in comparison with the 2014 war, this time the strikes felt much more vicious in terms of their impact."

Gaza residents and others called for Schmale's resignation.

In response, Schmale tweeted a series of messages expressing regret for any offense caused.

"The terror from the sky that we have just experienced amounts to a form of collective punishment of the civilian population. This must never happen again," he said.

On Tuesday, Schmale also tweeted that his post about the precision of IDF strikes had been taken out of context. "My issue is that the precise strikes of the sophisticated army killed more than 200 civilians including 20 children that went to UNRWA schools. This is unacceptable and cannot be white washed!" he tweeted.

Quoting me like this is, @i24NEWS_EN, is manipulative. My issue is that the precise strikes of the sophisticated army killed more than 200 civilians including 20 children that went to UNRWA schools. This is unacceptable and cannot be white washed! https://t.co/fDi3ajY3h7

— Matthias Schmale (@matzschmale) May 25, 2021

Meanwhile, a group of reservists from Unit 8200 in the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate issued a letter on Tuesday stating that the intelligence community had been strongly committed to avoiding civilian casualties in Gaza during Operation Guardian of the Walls.

"We hereby testify that the intelligence community is continuously committed to preventing and mitigating any physical harm or violation of the privacy of all uninvolved and innocent individuals," the reservists said in the letter, which was sent to MID chief Maj. Gen. Tamir Hayman and Unit 8200 commander Brig. Gen. "Y."

The unit's reservists also said they completely supported the intelligence community's activities during the 11-day military operation.

This activity, they wrote, was performed "with utmost responsibility, while upholding the IDF's values and specifically the value of human life and human dignity, upon which we were raised and trained."

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