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Microsoft terminated two additional employees Thursday following protests against the company's alleged support for Israeli military operations in Gaza, bringing the total number of fired workers to four in two days.
The technology giant had already dismissed two employees Tuesday after they participated in demonstrations at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on Monday, according to CBS News.
The protests, organized by current and former Microsoft employees alongside activists and community members, targeted the company's provision of technology services and infrastructure to the Israeli military. Demonstrators called for Microsoft to sever ties with Israel and pay reparations to Palestinians.
Police intervened during Monday's demonstration, arresting seven people who staged a sit-in at the office of Microsoft Vice Chairman and President Brad Smith.
"We terminated the employment of two additional employees for serious violations of our company policies and code of conduct, including participating in demonstrations that significantly endangered the safety of our employees in recent days," an unnamed Microsoft spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that the employees' actions "directly contradict the company's values" and that an investigation into the matter continues.
The protests came amid growing scrutiny of Microsoft's business relationships with Israel. An Associated Press investigation published earlier in 2025 revealed that artificial intelligence models from Microsoft and OpenAI were being used as part of Israeli military programs to select bombing targets in Gaza and Lebanon.
The Guardian reported in August that the Israeli military was using Microsoft's Azure cloud infrastructure to store intercepted Palestinian phone conversations.
The terminated employees were among protesters who accused Microsoft of playing a role in what they characterized as genocide against Palestinians. The demonstrations represent the latest example of employee activism at major technology companies over their business ties to military operations.
Microsoft has faced repeated criticism over its services and technological infrastructure provided to Israeli forces, particularly as the conflict in Gaza has intensified international debate over corporate responsibility in military operations.
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