McDonald’s has reiterated that it was neither funding nor supporting any side in the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict as it deals with a movement promoting boycotts against their food chain and other multinational brands.

“Our hearts are with all of the communities and families impacted by this crisis,” the American fast food chain said in a statement on X while replying to a user calling for a boycott of the brand on Tuesday.

The post viewed by more than 370,000 people on the social media platform was made in reply to a post where McDonald’s announced its decision to bring back the “Breakfast Wrap” in February on the demand of people.

Israeli strikes through ground and air have so far killed 24,620 Palestinians and wounded 61,830 in Gaza since October 7, the health ministry said on Thursday. Most of the deceased are children, according to media reports.

Benjamin Netanyahu-led government started assaults on Gaza after Hamas launched a barrage of attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, where around 1,200 people were killed.

Many people around the world started boycotting McDonald’s and other businesses last year after the food chain’s branch in Israel announced on social media that it had handed out thousands of free meals to the Israeli military amid its fight with Hamas. They slammed the outlet for not supporting the army and allegedly ignoring the vulnerable Palestinians.

Even McDonald’s Pakistan also clarified in October, saying that it is not affiliated with the operations in Israel. The statement issued in English and Urdu added that it does not engage in any form of political movement. A month later, the burger chain slashed the prices of a number of its menu items by nearly 60 per cent to counter the trend.

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On December 31, its Malaysia branch sued the movement for “false and defamatory statements” that it says hurt its business, seeking damages amounting to $1.31 million.

The January 16 statement shared by its UK branch stated that it was dismayed by the disinformation and inaccurate reports regarding its position on the conflict.

“We abhor violence of any kind and firmly stand against hate speech, and we will always proudly open our doors to everyone,” it said, “we are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our people in the region while supporting the communities where we can.”