Military Audit - Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Audit Phase: Military Subject Company: Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Date of Audit: 30 June 2026

Direct Defence Contracting & Procurement

Corporate Succession and Attribution

The attribution of defence-related contracts across the HP corporate family requires careful sequencing. Hewlett-Packard Company acquired Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 2008, inheriting EDS Israel and its full portfolio of Israeli government contracts, including the Basel biometric checkpoint system and early IDF infrastructure work ¹. In November 2015, HP Company split into HP Inc. (consumer products) and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) (enterprise hardware and services); HPE retained the IDF server farm contracts, Israeli Police contracts, Israel Prison Service contracts, and Population and Immigration Authority contracts ². In April 2017, HPE spun off its Enterprise Services unit, which merged with Computer Sciences Corporation to form DXC Technology; DXC inherited the Beitar Illit R&D centre, the Ariel Smart City project, the Israeli Navy IT contract, and the Civil Administration tracking system ³. In 2022, DXC sold its Israeli IT business to Ness, a subsidiary of the Hilan Group ³. HPE Israel’s own website advertises US Federal IT solutions, reflecting the subsidiary’s continued orientation toward government and defence-adjacent clients ⁴.

IDF Military Server Farm - July 2024 Selection

In July 2024, HPE was selected by the Israeli military to lead a new military server farm project ⁵⁶²⁷. HPE’s documented role encompasses supplying hardware for the farm and managing selection of the construction company; the farm was reported to be sited underground ⁵⁶²⁷. No contract value has been publicly disclosed, and available public records do not specify the precise day in July 2024 on which HPE was selected ⁵⁶.

IDF and Security Forces Server Farm Tender - December 2011

In December 2011, HP won a NIS 500 million tender to provide, implement, and maintain all servers for the IDF and Israeli security forces, described at the time as Israel’s largest-ever military servers tender ¹⁷. The contract ran for three years with options to extend for a further two years ¹⁷. A follow-up contract covered printers, maintenance systems, and central servers through end of 2016 ¹. Under a separate Ministry of Defence tender, HP was contracted to manage the MoD and IDF server farms for five years from 2011 ¹. These contracts transferred to HPE upon the November 2015 corporate split and subsequently to DXC Technology following the April 2017 Enterprise Services spin-off ².

IDF Personal Computer Supply - 2014–2019

In 2014, HP Israel was contracted as the exclusive provider of personal computers to the Israeli military for three years, extendable through 2019 ¹⁸. Attribution of this contract to HPE or HP Inc. after the November 2015 corporate split is uncertain in available sources, given that HP Inc. retained consumer and PC product lines post-split ².

Israeli Navy IT Infrastructure - 2009

In 2009, HP was contracted to administer the electronic infrastructure of the Israeli Navy as a virtualisation project, serving as a pilot for later implementation across all Israeli army units ¹⁹. The Israeli Navy has enforced the naval blockade of Gaza since 2007 ¹. Following the 2015 corporate split the contract passed to HPE, and following the April 2017 DXC spin-off it transferred to DXC Technology ². The contract is discontinued under HPE.

Basel Biometric System at Military Checkpoints - 1999–2016

The Basel biometric checkpoint system was contracted in October 1999, awarded under an Israeli Ministry of Defence tender to EDS Israel, with US government financing under the 1998 Wye River Memorandum ¹¹⁰. The scope included development, installation, maintenance, and ongoing field support of an automated biometric access control system at military checkpoints governing Palestinian movement ¹¹⁰. The system was installed at Erez checkpoint (northern Gaza) by 2004, and from 2005 onwards any Palestinian crossing a Basel checkpoint was required to carry a magnetic card containing fingerprints, hand geometry scans, retinal scans, and facial recognition data ¹¹⁰. By 2011 the system operated at checkpoints including Jericho, Bethlehem (Ma’avar Rachel), Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarem, Hebron, Abu Dis, Tarkumia, Sha’ar Efraim (Irtach), and Erez (Gaza) ¹⁰. A 2013 contract extension ran through at least 30 June 2013, contingent on Knesset budget approval ¹¹. In February 2015, the Ministry of Defence expanded the system to thirteen additional checkpoints including Jalame, Barta’a, Tura, Eyal, Eliyahu, Yoav, Hashmonaim, Macabim, Al-Jib, Qalandia, Ras Abu-Sbitan, Halamed He, and Sansana; a Freedom of Information response confirmed HP contracted for maintenance and field support through end of 2015 ¹⁰. Privacy International’s 2021 report on biometrics and counter-terrorism documents the architecture and function of the Basel system in detail ¹². War Resisters’ International designated HP “War Profiteer of the Month” in 2014 specifically for the Basel system and IDF server contracts ¹³. At end of 2016, the Israeli Ministry of Defence confirmed the Basel system was “scrapped” and replaced by an in-house system, bringing the contract to a close within HPE’s corporate period but before the April 2017 DXC spin-off ⁵¹. The system is discontinued.

Technology Supply to COGAT

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, in report A/HRC/59/23 (2 July 2025), states that HP “has long enabled the apartheid systems of Israel, supplying technology to the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the prison service and police” ¹⁴¹⁵. No independently verifiable procurement records specifying the particular products, contract dates, or contracting entity for COGAT technology supply have been identified in the public sources consulted ⁵².

US Department of Defense - DISA Cloud Contract (November 2025)

In November 2025, DISA awarded HPE a contract valued at nearly $1 billion for data centre modernisation under the Cloud Instance Initiative ¹⁶. The US Department of Defense also awarded HPE a 10-year contract for cloud computing upgrades, reported in the same month ¹⁷. These contracts relate to the US DoD and are not connected to Israeli defence procurement.

Dual-Use Products & Tactical Variants

Standard Enterprise Infrastructure Supplied to Israeli Military End-Users

The products documented as supplied by HPE to the IDF, Israeli Police, and Israel Prison Service are standard enterprise server and storage infrastructure - including HPE ProLiant servers, Itanium servers, SAN switches, enclosures, blade and “pizza” servers, and Virtual Connect systems - not purpose-built or contract-modified military-specified hardware ⁵⁶⁷. These products are commercially available to civilian clients globally ⁵². The dual-use exposure arises from standard commercial equipment being procured by Israeli security and military end-users, rather than from HPE producing a distinct tactical product line ⁵².

HPE ProLiant Gen12 for Ruggedised Environments

In April 2026, HPE announced the HPE ProLiant Compute DL110 Gen12 with Intel Xeon 6 SoC, marketed for “severe, ruggedised environments” and edge-native industries ¹⁷. This is a general commercial product and is not documented as purpose-designed for the Israeli market or for military tactical use.

No Purpose-Built Tactical Variants

No public evidence identified of HPE selling purpose-built or contract-modified, military-specified hardware to Israeli security end-users. Available procurement records indicate only standard commercial enterprise equipment is involved ⁵².

Heavy Machinery, Construction & Infrastructure

Beitar Illit R&D Centre (Illegal West Bank Settlement, 2006–2017)

An R&D centre was established by EDS Israel in 2006 in Beitar Illit municipality, an illegal West Bank settlement, to create employment for ultra-Orthodox Jewish women ³. HP Company expanded the centre after its 2008 EDS acquisition, using a three-year grant from the Israeli Ministry of Industry and Employment ³. In 2012, the centre relocated to a new building on the outskirts of the settlement, co-located with Malam Team and Citybook Services ³. The centre was operated by HPE following the November 2015 corporate split before transferring to DXC Technology in April 2017, and ultimately to Ness (Hilan Group subsidiary) following DXC’s 2022 sale of its Israeli IT business ³². The centre was an IT R&D facility; it did not involve construction or heavy machinery.

Ariel “Smart City” Project (Illegal West Bank Settlement, 2005–2017)

In 2005, Hewlett-Packard Company was contracted to implement a pilot “Smart City” project in Ariel, an illegal West Bank settlement in the northern occupied West Bank ¹³¹⁸. The scope included a disaster-resilient storage system for critical municipal services and a municipal wireless network for city employees and residents ¹³¹⁸. The project transferred to HPE at the November 2015 split and to DXC Technology in April 2017 ³². This was digital municipal infrastructure deployed within an illegal settlement; it did not involve construction or heavy machinery.

Heavy Machinery and Physical Construction in Occupied Territories

No public evidence identified of HPE equipment, vehicles, or heavy machinery being used in settlement construction, the separation barrier, demolitions, or military installations in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Supply Chain Integration with Defence Primes

Matrix IT and Tact Testware (Illegal Settlement Supply Chain, pre-2017)

Two companies in HP’s supply chain were located in the illegal settlement of Modi’in Illit: Matrix IT and its subsidiary Tact Testware ²¹⁹. These were supplier-layer relationships; HPE did not directly operate in that settlement. Following the 2015–2017 corporate restructurings, these supply chain relationships transferred to DXC Technology and are discontinued under HPE ².

Israeli Defence Prime Contractors

No public evidence identified of HPE supply relationships - whether component supply, sub-system supply, joint development, or co-production arrangements - with Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, or Israel Military Industries.

Axis Security Acquisition (2023) - Israeli Cybersecurity Subsidiary

In March 2023, HPE announced the acquisition of Axis Security, a Tel Aviv-based cloud security company offering an Atmos SSE/SASE platform ²⁰²¹. The acquisition price was reported by Globes as approximately $500 million, a figure HPE disputed ²⁰²¹. Axis Security was founded in 2018, employed approximately 120 people, maintained R&D operations in Tel Aviv, and was headquartered in San Mateo, California ²⁰²¹. Axis Security’s technology covers enterprise commercial cloud security (SSE, SWG, CASB) with no identified military or defence application; no public evidence has been identified of Axis Security products sold to Israeli defence or security entities ²⁰²¹.

Logistical Sustainment & Base Services

Israeli Police Data Center Care Services (2017–2026, Ongoing)

HPE Israel has held a continuous series of data center care service contracts with the Israeli Police from 2017 to at least December 2026 ⁵⁶². In 2017, HPE received a NIS 366,000 contract for Virtual Connect system maintenance ⁵⁶. Between 2018 and 2021, HPE held a contract to maintain Israeli Police servers ⁶. From 2021 to 2024, HPE was contracted for Data Center Care services at NIS 4 million, plus a proactive maintenance services contract also valued at NIS 4 million covering the period 2021–2023 ⁵⁶. In January 2024, the Israel Police announced its intention to contract HPE Israel as sole supplier for a further three years until December 2026, at a value of NIS 4 million ⁵⁶². This contract is ongoing as of the date of this audit.

Israel Prison Service - Server and Storage Maintenance (2015–present)

HPE has maintained a continuous sequence of maintenance contracts with the Israel Prison Service ⁵⁶². Between 2015 and 2020, cumulative contracts totalled NIS 2,695,268 ⁵. In 2021–2022, HPE held a computer and communication maintenance contract valued at approximately NIS 1 million ⁶². In February 2023, HPE was awarded a sole-supplier exemption-from-tender contract for maintenance of HPE equipment at NIS 371,856, valid until February 2024 ⁵. In April 2024, a further sole-supplier contract for HPE equipment maintenance was issued at NIS 364,075 for one year ⁵. In March 2025, a further sole-supplier exemption-from-tender contract was issued for maintenance of HPE equipment in the central server farm and backup farm - comprising a central storage system and seven SAN switches - at NIS 445,000, through February 2026 ⁵⁶. AFSC notes that the Israel Prison Service holds approximately 6,400 prisoners, including some 500 in administrative detention and approximately 300 children, and that most Palestinian prisoners are transferred from the occupied Palestinian territory to prisons inside Israel in violation of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention ². These contracts are ongoing as of the date of this audit.

Population and Immigration Authority - Aviv System Servers

HPE held contracts to provide and maintain servers for the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority’s Aviv population registry system, including the Yesha database of settlement residents ⁵⁶²². BDS Movement reported in September 2022 that HPE’s Aviv System server contract was being phased out, with IBM taking over maintenance of the population registry database ²³²⁴. The Albanese report A/HRC/59/23 notes that HPE’s Israeli subsidiary was still providing servers during the transition to IBM as of the report’s preparation in mid-2025 ¹⁴¹⁵.

Israeli Navy IT Services

The Israeli Navy IT infrastructure contract (virtualisation project, 2009) transferred to DXC Technology in April 2017 and is discontinued under HPE ². No public evidence identified of HPE providing ongoing logistical sustainment or base services to the Israeli Navy beyond the pre-2017 contracted period.

Shipping, Freight, and Port Services

No public evidence identified of HPE involvement in shipping, freight, port operations, or fuel logistics in support of Israeli military or security forces.

Munitions, Weapons Systems & Strategic Platforms

No public evidence identified of HPE acting as prime contractor or licensed manufacturer of small arms, artillery, armoured vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, naval vessels, or other lethal platforms supplied to Israeli forces.

No public evidence identified of HPE manufacturing, supplying, or procuring munitions, explosives, or precursor materials for Israeli military end-users.

No public evidence identified of HPE involvement in Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow missile defence, F-35 aircraft, Merkava tanks, or other strategic platforms for Israeli forces.

No public evidence identified of HPE supplying guidance electronics, fire-control systems, radar components, propulsion units, or warhead casings to Israeli defence end-users.

Export Licensing, Regulatory & Legal History

Export Licence Decisions

No public evidence identified of government decisions to grant, deny, suspend, or revoke export licences for HPE products to Israeli military or security end-users in any jurisdiction, including the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the UK Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU), or EU competent authorities.

Sanctions Compliance and Arms Embargoes

No public evidence identified of investigations, citations, or enforcement actions related to HPE and arms embargoes, export controls, or sanctions affecting defence trade with Israel ⁵².

Iran Sanctions Statutory Disclosures

HPE files periodic Iran Sanctions disclosure notices with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (Form IRANNOTICE). These are routine statutory disclosures required under US law and do not indicate enforcement action or sanction violations.

Civil Litigation - Al-Tamimi v. Adelson (2016–ongoing)

On 9 March 2016, a civil lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, case no. 1:16-cv-00445, by Palestinian plaintiffs led by Bassem al-Tamimi and Susan Abulhawa ²⁵. HPE was named as a defendant alongside Sheldon Adelson, G4S, RE/MAX, Motorola, Volvo, Oracle, and others, with plaintiffs claiming defendants funded illegal Israeli settlement activities and seeking damages of $34.5 billion ²⁵. On 29 August 2017, Judge Tanya S. Chutkan dismissed the case for lack of subject matter jurisdiction on political question grounds ²⁶. On 19 February 2019, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal 3-0, holding that the political question doctrine had been misapplied, and remanded the case to the district court for further proceedings ²⁷. On 23 February 2024, Judge Chutkan issued a memorandum opinion on defendants’ renewed motions to dismiss; the specific outcome of this ruling as it pertains to HPE was not fully detailed in publicly accessible sources consulted ²⁵. No final judgment has been issued against HPE in this matter, and the case is reportedly still open in the district court as of June 2026 ²⁵.

Civil Society Scrutiny & Documented Investigations

UN OHCHR Settlement Database (HRC Res. 31/36 and 53/25)

HPE was not listed in the first edition of the UN OHCHR settlement database published in 2020, which covered 112 companies ²². HPE was not listed in the June 2023 update ²⁸. In the September 2025 update (A/HRC/60/19, covering 158 companies), HPE is not confirmed as having been added based on available secondary reporting; newly listed companies in that update included ACS, CAF, Ineco, SEMI (Spain), Heidelberg Materials (Germany), and Steconfer (Portugal) ²⁸²⁹. In October 2020, over 100 organisations - including Fórsa, UNISON, Central Única dos Trabalhadores, Students’ Federation of India, and Sinn Féin - wrote to the OHCHR High Commissioner demanding HPE’s inclusion in the database, citing HPE’s role in maintaining the Yesha database of settlement residents via the Aviv System servers ²². The BDS Movement has separately characterised HPE as belonging in the UN settlement database on the grounds of its role in serving “Israel’s apartheid” ³⁰.

UN Special Rapporteur Report A/HRC/59/23 (July 2025)

HPE is explicitly named in UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese’s report A/HRC/59/23, submitted to the Human Rights Council on 2 July 2025 ¹⁴¹⁵. The report states: “Before IBM, Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE) maintained the database and its Israeli subsidiary is still providing servers during the transition. HP has long enabled the apartheid systems of Israel, supplying technology to the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the prison service and police. Since HP’s 2015 split into HPE and HP Inc., opaque business structures have obscured the roles of their seven remaining Israeli subsidiaries” ¹⁴¹⁵. This citation appears in the section of the report addressing technology companies providing IT infrastructure enabling Israel’s population control systems, surveillance, and carceral apparatus ¹⁴³¹¹⁵. Mondoweiss reported on the findings in July 2025, grouping HP among technology companies - alongside IBM, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Palantir - named in the Albanese report ³¹.

Who Profits Research Centre

Who Profits has published a dedicated series of reports on HP/HPE, compiling contract evidence derived from Israeli government Freedom of Information responses, tender announcements, and procurement records ^56111103. The company profile aggregates the full documented contract history, including the July 2024 military server farm selection and the ongoing Israeli Police and Prison Service maintenance contracts ⁵⁶.

AFSC Investigate

The American Friends Service Committee profiles HPE at its Investigate platform, documenting Israeli military IT infrastructure, the Kidma prison management system, Israeli Police data center services, and the Basel biometric system ². AFSC also maintains a separate Investigate profile for HP Inc., the consumer entity that split from HPE in November 2015 ³².

OpenIntel Corporate Complicity Dossier

OpenIntel UK maintains a dedicated HP dossier reproducing contract evidence from Who Profits and AFSC sources, with specific figures on the NIS 500 million IDF server tender of 2011 ⁷.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre profiles HPE and tracks reporting on occupation-related allegations ³³³⁴. In September 2024, BHRC published HPE’s response to allegations linking its products to war crimes; HPE stated it was “strongly committed to socially responsible business practices,” that its work in Israel was “consistent with our values and standards,” and that “it is not our policy to take sides in political disputes between countries or regions” ³³. No public evidence identified of HPE announcing contract termination, end-use policy changes, or the commissioning of an independent human rights audit of its Israeli contracts in response to civil society pressure.

BDS Movement Boycott Campaign

The BDS National Committee has maintained a dedicated “Boycott HP” campaign since 2005, citing the Basel biometric checkpoint system, military IT infrastructure for the IDF, Israeli Navy IT support, Israel Prison Service server maintenance, Israeli Police data center services, and Population Registry servers including the Yesha database ⁸³⁵. In September 2022, BDS reported that HPE’s Aviv System server contract was being phased out as IBM took over the population registry database, describing this as a major campaign success ²³²⁴. BDS continued to call for escalation during the 2024–2025 Gaza genocide period, citing the Israeli Police and Prison Service contracts as ongoing ³⁵. Civil society organisations from around the world have collectively urged HP companies to end all involvement in violations of Palestinian rights ³⁶.

Institutional Boycott and Divestment Decisions

The National Union of Teachers (UK) declared its offices “HP-free zones,” with General Secretary Kevin Courtney publicly stating the union does not buy or use HP products as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people ⁸¹⁹. The National Education Union (UK) adopted a procurement policy at its April 2019 Annual Conference to boycott goods of companies profiting from illegal settlements and the occupation ⁸. Unite the Union (UK) passed a resolution at its June 2019 Executive Council to end purchases of HP products and replace existing equipment ⁸¹⁹. A range of Christian faith-based institutions have taken divestment decisions regarding HP/HPE investments, including the Presbyterian Church USA, Unitarian Universalists, United Church of Christ, Mennonite Central Committee, Quaker Friends Fiduciary Corporation, and Alliance of Baptists ¹⁸. Palestine Solidarity Campaign (UK) has documented thousands of consumers abandoning HP products in response to the company’s Israeli occupation contracting ³⁷.

Corporate Statements

HP Inc. issued a formal BDS Response Statement in 2021 characterising allegations as “misinformation” and “untrue,” asserting it does not develop data center or server technologies - implicitly distinguishing its role from HPE’s - and stating it does not “take sides in political disputes between countries or regions” ³⁸. On 7 October 2023, HPE posted a statement on LinkedIn confirming the safety of its team members in Israel and characterising the Hamas attack as “unjustified and inexcusable” ³⁹. In its September 2024 response to BHRC, HPE reiterated that it was “committed to making the benefits of technology available to all people” and that its Israeli operations were consistent with its values ³³.

Controlling Principals

No public evidence identified of defence-board roles, defence-industry directorships, FIDF or reservist-fund donations, equity positions in Israeli defence primes, or public co-belligerency statements by HPE’s CEO Antonio Neri, Chair Pat Russo, or named board members. Regina E. Dugan, a named board member, is a former DARPA Director and former head of a Skunkworks unit at Facebook/Meta; no Israeli defence-specific ties have been identified for Dugan or other named board members in sources consulted.

Additional Civil Society Documentation

The Liberation Mapping Project maintains an entity profile for Hewlett Packard Enterprise documenting its occupation-related contracting relationships ⁴⁰. Kairos Palestine Response has published documentation on HP’s involvement in Israeli oppression of Palestinians, with a dedicated boycott page ¹⁸. CJPME published Fact Sheet 247 outlining its boycott campaign targeting Hewlett-Packard, documenting supply chain links and service contracts ¹⁹. Wikipedia’s entry for Hewlett-Packard Israel documents the subsidiary’s history and contractual relationships with Israeli government and security bodies ⁹.

End Notes