"McDonald's sales dented by Israel-Gaza boycotts"

McDonald's has missed a key sales target, partly due to customers boycotting the firm for its perceived support of Israel.

The fast food chain reported its first quarterly sales miss in nearly four years due to weak growth in its international business division.

Its boss previously acknowledged the impact of the conflict, blaming "misinformation".

Shares in McDonald's fell about 4% after the announcement.

McDonalds is one of several Western corporations including Starbucks and Coca Cola that have seen boycotts and protests against them by anti-Israeli campaigners.

The firm said that the Israel-Gaza conflict had "meaningfully impacted" performance in some overseas markets in the fourth quarter of 2023.

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The fast food retailer drew criticism after its Israel-based franchise said it had given away thousands of free meals to members of the Israeli military, sparking calls to boycott the brand by those angered by Israel's military response in Gaza.

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McDonald's said on Monday that its thoughts were with the families and communities impacted by the conflict in the region.

It said it would "continue to stay focused on supporting our people and the local communities in which we operate".