SAFA- Children's drawings expressing solidarity with Gaza and Palestine have sparked controversy in the United Kingdom after artwork created during a scouting activity was criticized by pro-Israel groups over the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."

The London-based Daily Telegraph said a British Scout camp encouraged children to participate in an activity titled "Drawing for Gaza." Some of the artwork featured the phrase "Free Palestine from the river to the sea," prompting complaints from groups supporting Israel.

The Henry Jackson Society, a UK-based think tank focused on security and counter-extremism, reportedly submitted a formal complaint calling for a review of the images shared by the Scout organization.

The complaint notes that the slogan "from the river to the sea" has been criminalized in Germany and parts of Australia because of what authorities there say are associations with Hamas and interpretations that it advocates the destruction of Israel.

The think tank described the children's artwork as "inflammatory" and expressed concern that drawings carrying the slogan had been circulated by an organization affiliated with the Scout movement.

One of the drawings reportedly depicted a map of Palestine colored in the Palestinian flag, alongside an illustration of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Another featured the map decorated with Palestinian symbols, including a large watermelon, which the newspaper described as a widely recognized symbol of Palestinian identity because its colors match those of the Palestinian flag.

The Daily Telegraph report did not mention the United Kingdom’s military and diplomatic support for Israel in its ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, which has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured hundreds of thousands, according to the figures cited in the source text.

Following the outbreak of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the United Kingdom provided extensive military and diplomatic backing to Israel. Rishi Sunak, who was prime minister at the time, said the UK “unequivocally” stood with Israel.