'Farewell and free Palestine': Vaniya Agrawal's resignation letter accuses Microsoft of complicity in Gaza conflict

Two Microsoft employees, including Indian-origin Vaniya Agrawal, who quit soon after disrupting a company event celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary, have resigned accusing the tech giant of enabling human rights violations in Gaza through its ties with the Israeli military. 

Agrawal announced her resignation in a company-wide email shared with colleagues following a dramatic interruption of CEO Satya Nadella’s speech during Microsoft’s 50th anniversary event. “I am not proud to resign—I am compelled,” she wrote. Her final day at the company will be April 11.

In her message, Agrawal cited what she called “Microsoft’s growing role in the military industrial complex,” specifically pointing to reported contracts with Israel’s Ministry of Defense. She referenced a $133 million deal, revealed by an AP investigation, under which Microsoft Azure cloud and AI services allegedly support Israel’s military operations, including surveillance infrastructure and weapons targeting systems.

“Microsoft cloud and AI enable the Israeli military to be more lethal and destructive in Gaza,” she wrote. “It is undeniable... Microsoft is complicit — they are a digital weapons manufacturer that powers surveillance, apartheid, and genocide.”

The resignation comes as the war in Gaza continues to draw global scrutiny. Agrawal referenced recent reports of civilian casualties, including paramedics allegedly executed by Israeli forces, as part of her motivation to speak out. She also noted Microsoft’s recent designation as a priority boycott target by the international Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Microsoft has not responded publicly to the allegations in Vaniya’s letter. However, the company has previously stated that it follows rigorous due diligence processes to ensure its technology is not misused and that it is committed to upholding international human rights standards. Its Human Rights Statement asserts a commitment to transparency and prohibits retaliation against employees who raise ethical concerns.

Agrawal called on colleagues to sign the “No Azure for Apartheid” petition, join internal organizing efforts, and challenge company leadership. “Don’t stop speaking up,” she urged. “If you also feel tricked into deploying weapons which target children and civilians, urge leadership to drop these contracts.”

The resignation adds to a growing wave of tech worker activism, with employees at Google, Amazon, and Salesforce having similarly raised objections in recent years over military and law enforcement contracts. Within Microsoft itself, workers have previously protested the company’s $22 billion deal to supply augmented reality headsets to the U.S. military and criticized its partnerships with immigration authorities.

Agrawal signed off with the words “Farewell and Free Palestine.”