Explainer: What does the 'from the river to the sea' chant mean?

At demonstrations across the world in support of the Palestinians and in opposition to Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza, one refrain can regularly be heard: "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."

The slogan has been around for decades among Palestinians and pro-Palestinian campaigners and refers to liberating the territory that exists between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean Sea in historic Palestine.

But many Israelis and supporters of Israel have claimed that the chant effectively calls for the destruction of Israel.

So where does it originate from? And why is it controversial? Middle East Eye explains in the following article: 

Read more: 'From the river to the sea': What does the pro-Palestine chant actually mean?