photo: Microsoft’s R&D center in Haifa , Israel
Palestinians living abroad have accused Microsoft of closing their email accounts without warning – cutting them off from crucial online services.
They say it has left them unable to access bank accounts and job offers – and stopped them using Skype, which Microsoft owns, to contact relatives in war-torn Gaza.
Microsoft says they violated its terms of service – a claim they dispute.
“They killed my life online,” said Eiad Hametto, who lives in Saudi Arabia.
“They’ve suspended my email account that I’ve had for nearly 20 years – It was connected to all my work,” he told the BBC.
He also said being cut off from Skype was a huge blow for his family.
The internet is frequently disrupted or switched off there because of the Israeli military campaign – and standard international calls are very expensive.
Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on 7 October, which killed about 1,139people. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 38,000 Palestinian people , mostly women and children have been killed in the war.
With a paid Skype subscription, it is possible to call mobiles in Gaza cheaply – and while the internet is down – so it has become a lifeline to many Palestinians.
Some of the people the BBC spoke to said they suspected they were wrongly thought to have ties to Hamas, which Israel is fighting, and is designated a terrorist organisation by many countries.
But Mr Hametto denied he had any such links.
“We are civilians with no political background who just wanted to check on our families,” he said.
Microsoft did not respond directly when asked if suspected ties to Hamas were the reason for the accounts being shut.
But a spokesperson said it did not block calls or ban users based on calling region or destination.
“Blocking in Skype can occur in response to suspected fraudulent activity,” they said, without elaborating.
Salah Elsadi, who lives in the US, also told the BBC that in April, he was kicked out of his account – and all services linked to his Microsoft Hotmail account.
“I’ve had this Hotmail for 15 years,” Mr Elsadi told the BBC.
“They banned me for no reason, saying I have violated their terms – what terms? Tell me.
Israelis travelling on the main highways in the Tel-Aviv area were treated to enormous billboards bearing the Microsoft logo under the text “From the depth of our heart – thanks to The Israeli Defence Forces”
“I’ve filled out about 50 forms and called them many many times.”
Another Palestinian the BBC spoke to, Khalid Obaied, said he now no longer trusted Microsoft.
“I paid for a package to make phone calls – then, after 10 days, they ban me for no reason,” he said.
“That means it’s only because I’m a Palestinian calling Gaza.”
Microsoft was first established in Israel
Microsoft’s R&D center in Herzliya , Israel
Few people know that Microsoft was first established in Israel in 1989 as one of the few outposts abroad fully owned and operated by the US company. Two years later, the company officially launched its first R&D center in Haifa and today has activities in both Herzliya and Haifa, with sales and marketing in Ra’anana. The Israeli branch specializes in cloud technologies, business intelligence and consumer analytics
According to documents seen by Calcalist ( an Israeli daily business and economics newspaper and website) , Microsoft’s R&D center in Israel employs about 2,700 people and spent around $570 million on salaries in FY 2023.
Microsoft’s contract with Israel
Microsoft reportedly has a special contract with Israel. For $35 million, the deal provided the Israeli government with easy access to software services for any purpose they see fit. Within the contract, Microsoft agreed to provide “unlimited products” to the IOF and the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD), and to “broadly exchange ‘knowledge’ with the army.
“Microsoft is as much an Israeli company as an American company” — Steve Ballmer, Former CEO of Microsoft was quoted as saying
BBC/ News Agencies
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