McDonald’s to buy back Israel franchise following boycotts 

The business became the subject of controversy in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack, after photos and videos on Instagram showed franchised stores in Israel giving soldiers meals

McDonald’s fourth-quarter sales missed expectations as growth decelerated, hurt in part by the conflict in the Middle East.

McDonald’s has agreed to acquire its restaurants in Israel from operator Alonyal, bringing the local chain in-house months after it became a point of contention in the early days of the Israel-Hamas war.

Alonyal launched the McDonald’s brand in Israel more than 30 years ago and grew the business to 225 restaurants and more than 5,000 employees, according to a statement from the Chicago-based chain.