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Protesters occupied company president's office on Tuesday

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Microsoft says the conduct was a serious breach of company

policies

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Protest comes after media investigation into use of Azure

software by Israel

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Two Microsoft

employees were fired on Wednesday after taking part in a sit-in

at the office of the company's president to protest the firm's

ties to Israel as it wages war in Gaza.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the workers were terminated

following "serious breaches of company policies and our code of

conduct" stemming from "the break-in at the executive offices."

Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli received voicemails informing

them that they were fired, the protest group No Azure for

Apartheid said in a statement.

They were among seven protesters who were arrested on

Tuesday after occupying the office of company President Brad

Smith. The other five were former Microsoft workers and people

outside the company.

"We are here because Microsoft continues to provide Israel

with the tools it needs to commit genocide while gaslighting and

misdirecting its own workers about this reality," Hattle said in

a statement on Wednesday.

No Azure for Apartheid, whose name references Microsoft's ( MSFT )

Azure software, has demanded that the company cut its ties to

Israel and pay reparations to Palestinians. Smith said on

Tuesday: "we respect the freedom of expression that everyone in

this country enjoys as long as they do it lawfully."

A joint media investigation has said an Israeli military

surveillance agency was making use of Microsoft's ( MSFT ) Azure software

to store countless recordings of mobile phone calls made by

Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza.

The investigation, conducted by the Guardian,

Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and

Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, also said Israel relied on

Microsoft cloud for expansive surveillance of Palestinians.

In response, Microsoft said this month it was turning to law

firm Covington & Burling LLP to conduct a review.

Other Microsoft workers have also protested the company's

ties to Israel.

In April, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman's remarks were

interrupted by a pro-Palestinian protesting employee during the

technology company's 50th anniversary celebration over the

firm's ties with Israel. That employee and another protesting

employee were also fired.

Other firms and educational institutions have faced protests

over ties with Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from

Israel's military assault has mounted, and images of starving

Palestinians, including children, have sparked global outrage.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian

conflict was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas militants

attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250

hostages, Israeli tallies show.

Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed tens of

thousands of Palestinians, caused a hunger crisis, internally

displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of

genocide and war crimes at international courts that Israel

denies.