Military tech firm backing war in Gaza awarded NHS data contract worth £400 million

Palantir, a US spy-tech firm which has openly supported Israel's bombardment of Gaza, was awarded a contract worth £400 million by Britain's National Health Service to handle patient data. 

Last month, Palantir posted its support for Israel on social media and told shareholders in November that it was "one of a few companies in the world to stand up and announce our support for Israel, which remains steadfast." 

Announcing the company’s third-quarter profits on the same day, Alex Karp, Palantir’s chief executive and a co-founder of the company, said: “I am proud that we are supporting Israel in every way we can.”

A spokesperson for Health Workers for a Free Palestine, which has campaigned for Palestine over the last five weeks, said it was alarmed by the NHS's decision to award Palantir a contract to handle patient data. 

“Many would be rightly concerned that a third-party company is managing their medical data, let alone Palantir, whose interests are at odds with the British public, Palestinian people and our collective humanity,” said the spokesperson. 

"Palantir has come out in full support for Israel's bombardment of Gaza, received funding from the CIA, helped the NSA with their worldwide surveillance programme, and worked on artificial intelligence for US military drones.

"Businesses that trade in death should have no place in our healthcare system."

READ MORE: Military tech firm backing war in Gaza awarded NHS data contract