McDonald’s Türkiye donates $1 million to war-stricken Gazans

McDonald’s Türkiye announced late Friday it is donating $1 million in humanitarian aid to Gazans suffering from war.

The move comes amid backlash on Turkish social media after McDonald’s Israel revealed it is distributing free meals to Israeli soldiers.

"There is no connection between the activities of McDonald's Israel and McDonald's Türkiye. McDonald's Israel operates as a separate entity from our business. Therefore, it makes its own business and communication decisions independently of McDonald's Türkiye," the company, which was acquired by Qatari Boheme Investments in 2022, said in a statement.

"We will continue to serve Türkiye and contribute to the success of our country in the coming period," it said. "We would like to announce to the public that we will provide $1 million of humanitarian aid support to the people of Gaza who are victims of war, especially women, children and the elderly."

The conflict began Saturday when Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood – a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a series of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air.

Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and the increasing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

In response, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Israel also cut water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening living conditions in an area that has suffered under a crippling siege since 2007.​​​​​​​