Starbucks’ West Asia franchisee has fired 2,000 of its staff after suffering huge losses owing to boycott campaign led by Palestinian supporters during Israel’s war on Gaza.

The US giant food chain McDonald’s and coffee chain Starbucks both blamed pro-Palestine boycott campaigns for slower sales after they saw grassroots protests over their pro-Israeli stance in the Gaza war.

The boycott campaign comes as Western officials have said they wouldn’t be drawing any red lines for Israel.