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Palestinians living abroad have accused Microsoft of closing their email accounts without warning – cutting them off from crucial online services.<\/b><\/p>\n
They say it has left them unable to access bank accounts and job offers – and stopped them using Skype, which Microsoft owns, to contact relatives in war-torn Gaza.<\/p>\n
Microsoft says they violated its terms of service – a claim they dispute.<\/p>\n
“They killed my life online,” said Eiad Hametto, who lives in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
“They\u2019ve suspended my email account that I\u2019ve had for nearly 20 years – It was connected to all my work,” he told the BBC.<\/p>\n
He also said being cut off from Skype was a huge blow for his family.<\/p>\n
The internet is frequently disrupted or switched off there because of the Israeli military campaign – and standard international calls are very expensive. <\/p>\n
Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on 7 October, which killed about 1,200 people. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 38,000 people have been killed in the war.<\/p>\n
With a paid Skype subscription, it is possible to call mobiles in Gaza cheaply – and while the internet is down – so it has become a lifeline to many Palestinians. <\/p>\n
Some of the people the BBC spoke to said they suspected they were wrongly thought to have ties to Hamas, which Israel is fighting, and is designated a terrorist organisation by many countries.<\/p>\n
But Mr Hametto denied he had any such links.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are civilians with no political background who just wanted to check on our families,” he said.<\/p>\n
Microsoft did not respond directly when asked if suspected ties to Hamas were the reason for the accounts being shut. <\/p>\n
But a spokesperson said it did not block calls or ban users based on calling region or destination. <\/p>\n
“Blocking in Skype can occur in response to suspected fraudulent activity,” they said, without elaborating.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Salah Elsadi, who lives in the US, also told the BBC that in April, he was kicked out of his account – and all services linked to his Microsoft Hotmail account. <\/p>\n
“I’ve had this Hotmail for 15 years,” Mr Elsadi told the BBC.<\/p>\n
“They banned me for no reason, saying I have violated their terms – what terms? Tell me. <\/p>\n
“I’ve filled out about 50 forms and called them many many times.” <\/p>\n
Another Palestinian the BBC spoke to, Khalid Obaied, said he now no longer trusted Microsoft.<\/p>\n
“I paid for a package to make phone calls – then, after 10 days, they ban me for no reason,” he said.<\/p>\n
“That means it’s only because I\u2019m a Palestinian calling Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n