The Carrefour name has disappeared from storefronts in some Arab countries, with pro-Palestinian shoppers and activists hailing the shift as a victory for their boycott of brands perceived as being linked to Israel.

The French multinational has long been in the crosshairs of Palestinian supporters, who accuse it of selling products from Israeli settlements and partnering with Israeli firms operating there.

The group has denied operating in the settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.

But in the past year Majid Al Futtaim, the group that operates the Carrefour franchise in the Middle East, has closed the brand's supermarkets in Jordan, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.

It has since reopened under the new name HyperMax, citing "growing demand for locally sourced products and services in a number of our markets".

It did not explicitly link the rebranding to the boycotts, and experts are divided over how much of a role they played in the closures.

Huda Ahmed, a 45-year-old mother of three, said she stepped into the Carrefour-turned-HyperMax store in Manama, Bahrain last week for the first time........

© International Business Times