Algeria has halted all state-sponsored sports and cultural events in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, currently facing Israeli airstrikes. According to the state-run ENTV, the decision was made “in support of the resilient Palestinian people” and “in honor of the victims in the Gaza Strip.”
The Ministry of Youth and Sports spearheaded the move, which was soon followed by the Ministry of Culture and Arts announcing the postponement of all festive cultural events, including the Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival originally scheduled for November 3-9.
This comes after the armed Islamist group Hamas, which governs the coastal enclave, initiated a surprise incursion into Israel on October 7, carrying out mass atrocities against Israeli civilians and soldiers in towns and villages near the Gaza border, abducting around 200 people as hostages, and firing thousands of rockets at Israeli population centers and military installations. Israel responded with extensive airstrikes on Gaza. The conflict has also spread to Israel’s northern border, where Israeli forces have exchanged fire with the Lebanese armed group Hizbullah, as well as Syrian-based armed groups, and has resulted in around 6,800 deaths on all sides.