Missouri Girl Scout leaders threatened legal action against a troop that made bracelets to raise funds for starving children in Gaza, provoking outrage and ridicule from the girls’ supporters and advocates for people trapped in the Palestinian territory by the latest humanitarian crisis.

Girl Scouts of the USA said its eastern Missouri chapter had only been following fundraising rules, but that it was “disappointed and disheartened by the tone” of the communication with the troop in St. Louis.

“What do you think a group of 10-year-old girls would want to do if they felt helpless?” Abuhamdeh asked during a Zoom meeting promoted by Ceasefire for Kids, which advocates for children in Gaza. “They would want to help. How do they want to help? They want to make bracelets. They’re 10 years old. That’s what they felt like they could do.”