al jazeera

By Lyndal Rowlands and Alastair McCready
   Israeli shelling hit a warehouse in Deir el-Balah and a home in Rafah, both housing displaced Palestinians, killing and wounding many.
   Hamas has officially responded “positively” to the framework of a proposal for the latest truce in the Gaza war but Qatar and the US say any deal will take time.
   The UN says “everything possible” must be done to avoid a full-scale Israeli attack on Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, which it says could lead to a “large scale” loss of life.
   US Secretary of State Blinken arrives in Israel to discuss Hamas’s response to the proposed truce deal and an Israel-Hamas prisoner swap after visits to Egypt and Qatar.
   At least 27,585 people have been killed and 66,978 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attacks stands at 1,139.

    Are boycotts of Israel over Gaza war hurting US brands?

    McDonald’s has missed sales targets partly due to boycotts against its products in some parts of the world over its perceived support for Israel, the company says.

    The war on Gaza “meaningfully impacted” performance in the last quarter of 2023 in some regions, company officials said on Monday. Sales growth in the Middle East, China and India stood at 0.7 percent in the quarter, far below expectations.

    The fast food company is only one of several US brands hit by boycotts and protests over their perceived support for Israel’s war on Gaza. On social media sites, lists circulate of brands accused of supporting Israel although their alleged ties are often not clearly explained.

    The push is part of a larger Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign targeting Israel-friendly brands since 2005.