Amazon MILITARY

Direct Defence Contracting & Procurement

Amazon entered into a $1.2 billion (NIS 4 billion) cloud services contract with the Israeli government in 2021 known as Project Nimbus, running from May 2021 to May 2028 with an option to extend 132 additional months ^{1, 2}. The Israeli Defense Forces were central to Project Nimbus from its inception, shaping the project’s design and serving as important users ². Reported Project Nimbus terms forbid Amazon and Google from restricting how any Israeli government agency, security service, or military unit uses cloud services, and the companies cannot suspend or withdraw access even if terms are violated ³. Leaked-document reporting describes a “winking mechanism” requiring Amazon and Google to send coded payments to the Israeli government when data is disclosed to foreign law enforcement, with payment amounts corresponding to country phone codes. Amazon denied circumventing confidentiality obligations under binding legal orders ³.

IDF Unit 9900, responsible for geospatial intelligence, used AWS cloud services and aided in planning strikes in Gaza, with evidence including username patterns in AWS system logs showing “9900” ⁴. The Israeli Ministry of Defense Central Command purchased access to Amazon Rekognition facial recognition tool including for an open-source intelligence project ⁴. Documents reference a 35% discount for services sold to Israeli Ministry of Defense under Project Nimbus ⁵. The state-operated Soreq Nuclear Research Center was confirmed as an Amazon customer through Project Nimbus ⁴.

Dual-Use Products & Tactical Variants

AWS operates the il-central-1 region in Israel (Tel Aviv) with three availability zones in Tnuvot, Shoham, and Beit Shemesh, launched in August 2023, representing a $7.2 billion planned investment through 2037 ^{6, 4}. AWS documentation confirms the il-central-1 (Israel) region supports Snowball Edge and Snow Family devices, which provide storage and compute capabilities; regional availability alone does not establish an Israeli military device procurement ⁷. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems purchased generative AI tools through AWS including Anthropic’s Claude and Amazon’s Titan LLM via the Bedrock service in 2024-2025 ⁴. Israel Aerospace Industries is required to use AWS and Google cloud per Project Nimbus tender requirements ^{4, 8}.

Heavy Machinery, Construction & Infrastructure

No public evidence identified.

Supply Chain Integration with Defence Primes

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems purchased Claude AI via AWS Bedrock in 2024-2025, and Rafael is required to use AWS and Google cloud per Project Nimbus tender requirements ^{4, 8}. Israel Aerospace Industries is required to use AWS and Google cloud per Project Nimbus, with internal documents confirming cloud services provided throughout 2024-2025 ^{4, 8}. The IDF uses AWS to store mass surveillance data on the Gaza population including billions of audio files, with Israeli intelligence sources confirming “the cloud has information on everyone” ^{9, 10}.

Logistical Sustainment & Base Services

Amazon offered free shipping for orders over $49 to Israeli West Bank settlements while charging Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory $24 for the same orders, with the policy changed in March 2020 following public outcry ^{11, 12}. Amazon executives have met with and utilized the Bar Group and other logistics firms to solve “last mile” delivery problems in Israel, facilitating delivery to settlements ¹.

Munitions, Weapons Systems & Strategic Platforms

No public evidence identified for Amazon acting as prime contractor or licensed manufacturer of lethal weapons platforms; however, AWS provides cloud infrastructure to defense primes Rafael and IAI which manufacture such systems.

Export Licensing, Regulatory & Legal History

Amazon is not included in the UN OHCHR settlement business database despite extensive documented involvement with settlements and defense ¹. Amazon excluded three shareholder proposals in 2025-2026 including one on AI alignment related to Project Nimbus ¹³. No public evidence identified for US export license decisions specifically documenting AWS services to Israeli defense requiring EAR or ITAR licensing.

Civil Society Scrutiny & Documented Investigations

The UN Special Rapporteur’s A/HRC/59/23, dated 2 July 2025, expressly names Amazon in paragraphs 40–41 concerning Nimbus and government-wide cloud/AI access. The report is an attributed expert assessment, not a judicial finding ¹⁴. Amazon is listed in the Who Profits database under “Settlement Enterprise,” “Services to the Settlements,” “Population Control,” and “Specialized Equipment and Services” ¹. Over 300 Amazon workers signed letters protesting Project Nimbus, and Palestinian engineer Ahmed Shahrour was suspended in September 2025 for distributing flyers and posting in Slack channels urging colleagues to oppose the contract ^{15, 16, 17, 5}. More than 30 shareholders representing $59 million in Amazon stock filed a 2025 resolution requesting a report on AWS use in Gaza and alignment with responsible AI policies ¹⁸. No public evidence identified of Amazon terminating Nimbus in response to the cited pressure.