Qatar’s Doha Film Institute (DFI) has cancelled the 11th edition of its Ajyal Film Festival, which was due to take place from November 8 to 16, due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
It is the third film festival in the Arab world – alongside Egypt’s Cairo and El Gouna events – to be called off in the last 48 hours as anger grows in the Middle East over the rising death toll in Gaza due to Israel’s blockade and bombing of the Palestinian territory.
Israel has taken this action in response to horrific Hamas terror attacks on Southern Israel, in which more than 1,400 people were killed and another 199 taken hostage.
Leaders worldwide have acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself. More than 3,000 Gaza residents have died in the retaliatory bombing campaign while the territory’s 2.1 million residents are without fresh food, water and power supplies.
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