The ongoing turbulence in the Middle East has led the organizers of the Cairo International Film Festival to decide on the cancellation of the event in Egypt.
The announcement was communicated through a statement posted on the official Facebook page of the Cairo International Film Festival on Wednesday.
According to the release, the festival’s rescheduling, originally set for November 15th to 24th, 2023, was initiated by Egypt’s Minister of Culture, Dr. Neveen El-Kelani.
‘The Minister of Culture Dr. Neveen El-Kelani, has decided to postpone the 45th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival, which was scheduled to be held from 15 to 24 November, and the Festival will be determined at a later date,’ the statement read.
While the reason behind the delay remains unclear, the Middle East has experienced heightened tensions in the past week due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
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Egypt is neighboring Israel, which initiated a war against the Hamas militant group on October 8, 2023.
The announcement followed an incursion by the militant fighters through the nation’s heavily fortified border, resulting in the death of over 1,400 people, predominantly civilians.
Israel’s countermeasure to the attack included a fierce bombing offensive in the Gaza Strip, targeting members of the militant group. However, the number of Palestinian civilian casualties has continued to rise during the ongoing bombardment.
In the latest development, a hospital was targeted in the region, resulting in the tragic loss of hundreds of lives on Tuesday.
The explosion, as reported by health authorities in Hamas-controlled Gaza, resulted in the deaths of 200 to 300 people, with the cause identified as the recent series of Israeli air strikes.
On the other hand, the Israeli Defence Forces held Hamas militants responsible, alleging that the explosion was triggered by an errant Islamic Jihad rocket launch.
Even as the conflict rages on, Palestinian refugees, with a desperation to escape the war, continue to amass at the Rafah border crossing, the exclusive passage between Gaza and Egypt.
However, the closure of the crossing has been implemented entirely due to the Israeli airstrike attacks.