In the immediate aftermath of Hamas launching an attack on Israel last Saturday, Sundar Pichai, Google's Chief Executive Officer, extended a heartfelt message to every Google employee through a company-wide email. In this message, he sought to reassure them that the company had successfully established communication with employees currently situated in Israel or those traveling to the region, pledging ongoing support.
Mr. Pichai subsequently echoed the sentiments conveyed in his email by sharing a post on an internal platform. He expressed profound sorrow over the rapidly intensifying conflict and underscored the paramount importance of safeguarding Google's workforce.
n his own words, Pichai remarked, "Google maintains a presence in Israel, with two offices and a workforce exceeding 2,000. The circumstances they are presently enduring are beyond imagination. Since the events of last Saturday, our primary focus has centered on ensuring the well-being of our employees. We have made successful contact with our local staff and are committed to providing unwavering support. Moreover, we are actively engaged in disseminating reliable, precise information to the public via our products and sharing insights into the cyber activities monitored by our experts."
Pichai also pledged Google's commitment to endorsing humanitarian and relief organizations actively working in the region.
The incursion by Hamas militants into Israeli territory on Saturday morning led to the tragic loss of numerous lives among residents in homes and streets near the Gaza border, marking the first occurrence of armed clashes in Israeli towns in decades.
Also Read: Israel-Hamas Conflict: Antony Blinken Set to Visit Israel
In retaliation, Israeli warplanes executed airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, systematically targeting residential neighborhoods, reducing buildings to rubble, and compelling inhabitants to seek shelter within the constrained territory. Israel also restricted the inflow of essential supplies such as food, fuel, and medical provisions into Gaza, while access from Egypt was curtailed following airstrikes in border crossing zones.
Google presently maintains two offices in Israel, situated in Haifa and Tel Aviv.
Below is the complete email sent by Mr. Pichai:
"I am certain that, by now, you are all aware of the distressing attacks on civilians in Israel and the escalating conflict that has ensued. Google maintains a substantial presence in Israel, with two offices and over 2,000 employees, and the unimaginable challenges they are presently confronting are a cause for profound concern. Our primary objective is to ensure the well-being and security of every Google employee in the affected area. This commitment extends to those employees based in Israel as well as those who were in transit to the region. The Google Safety and Resilience Support team is actively conducting safety checks, aiming to account for each employee and provide the best available security guidance from our team of experts. While we have been in touch with most of them today, it may take some time to reach everyone. Our dedicated teams are working tirelessly to accomplish these tasks, and they are also engaged in the critical work of detecting and removing any graphically violent, hateful, or terrorist content, as well as countering coordinated disinformation campaigns."
Also Read: Putin expresses deep concern over drastic rise in civilian casualties during IsraelGaza conflict