Dozens of children gathered at an event in Modena, Italy, Saturday to meet with Al Jazeera journalist Wael Dahdouh, a Gazan whose family was killed in the war. His translator at the event was Suleiman Hijazi, an outspoken supporter of Hamas.

The eight- to 10-year-olds, who came from several schools in the city as part of an educational event organized by teachers, sang “Free, free Palestine,” while clapping, encouraged by the teachers present.

Hijazi had been under investigation for raising funds for Hamas, under cover of raising funds for Gazan civilians from the Italian public. One of the people who participated in the scheme, Mohammad Hannoun, has been in custody since December. More than just a pro-Palestinian activist, Hannoun is believed to be the head of a secret Hamas fundraising cell in Europe.

Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti also attended the event. The mayor belongs to the Democratic Party, a center-left party that has engaged in extreme anti-Israel rhetoric and promoted accusations of genocide against Israel and encouraged boycotts of the Jewish state.

The event comes against the backdrop of a car-ramming attack in Modena three weeks ago, when a Moroccan Arab plowed his car into pedestrians, injuring eight people, before leaping out and brandishing a knife. Four passersby tackled and detained him, though one of them sustained minor stab wounds, until security forces arrived.

The mayor said he left the meeting before the slogan was chanted. The meeting had been arranged “to discuss issues of conflicts and peace in the world.”

“During the meeting with Dahdouh, the subject of the conflict with Israel did not come up at all,” he said. “Journalist Dahdouh was invited by the teachers to testify about the meaning of living in a war that erased his family.”

“While I was there, the children did not speak at all about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or about political issues,” he added. “If that happened after I left, I regret it and think it is inappropriate.”

The incident sparked a furious backlash and prompted calls for an investigation. Italian political figures are demanding a thorough probe into the incident, with the Education Ministry’s regional office in Emilia-Romagna adding that authorities must “shed light on the case and understand who is responsible.”

“If this is true, it is a serious incident,” Italy’s minister of education, Giuseppe Valditara, said. “If anyone thinks they can turn our schools into places of brainwashing, indoctrination and propaganda, they are mistaken. The Education Ministry will not allow it.”

“While in these schools they do not allow these children to learn to sing the Italian anthem, they prefer to teach them the chant of Free Palestine,” noted former Gen. Roberto Vannacci.