McRift: MENA McDonald's franchisees show Gaza support after Israel branches feed soldiers for free

McDonald's franchisees in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have shown support  for war-torn Gaza, days after the Israel branch said it was providing thousands of free meals to Israeli soldiers.

All franchises of McDonald's in Arab-majority countries, save for Morocco, have released statements in solidarity with Gaza as 1 million flee the north of the enclave with water, food, and electricity cut by Israel.

The gesture has been hailed as a small victory for the Palestinian cause amid the devastation in the besieged enclave which has left nearly 3,000 dead including hundreds of children.

Furore over the US fast food chain's stance on the fighting began last week, when McDonald's Israel reportedly said that it had offered "tens of thousands of meals" to Israeli soldiers, police, and civilians living near Gaza, among others.

The Israeli franchisee said it had opened a handful of restaurants solely for the purpose of providing security forces with aid.

The moves sparked outrage on social media, particularly in the Arab world due to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians being unable to access food themselves.

"People in Gaza suffering without electricity and water while Israel soldiers eat McDonald's," one 'X' user said.

Some social media users called for a boycott of the fast food chain in response. 

Anger over the move also spilled out onto the streets, with at least one McDonald's in Lebanon reportedly attacked. 

One by one, national franchisees from across the Middle East posted statements in solidarity with Gaza, as social media users piled on the pressure.

Franchisees also said they would be making aid donations to aid efforts for the enclave. Pledges from the franchisees currently stand at more than $1 million.

Even franchisees from Bahrain and the UAE, - countries that recently normalised ties with Israel - have put out statements in solidarity with Gaza and offered aid.

Some franchisees were slower to post their statement than others, notably McDonald's in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. 

Morocco's McDonald's subsidiary has yet to issue a statement on the issue. Like Bahrain and the UAE, Morocco normalised ties with Israel in 2020.

Israel's devastating bombardment of Gaza has sparked an outpouring of popular support worldwide, but particularly in Arab-majority countries.

Close to 3,000 Palestinians have been killed since near relentless bombing began on Saturday, the day fighters from Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory.