Israel-Hamas: Local TV Productions On Hold & Cinemas Remain Closed As Conflict Enters Third Day
All local Israeli TV productions, excluding broadcasts providing news updates, have been placed on hold following a directive from the Israeli army as the bloody conflict between the country and Hamas fighters heads into a third day.
Working under a similar official directive, theater owners across Israel have shut their doors. Cinemas halted operations on Saturday, the first day of the conflict. A senior Israeli exhibition exec told Deadline that he expects theaters to remain closed “until further notice.”
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Israel formally declared war on Hamas on Sunday after its fighters launched an unexpected attack that has so far killed more than 700 people in Israel, according to local officials. In response, Israel launched a series of air strikes on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. Palestinian health officials have reported more than 400 casualties, including 20 children. Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday that he has ordered a “complete siege” of the Gaza strip, including the restriction of all electricity, food, and fuel to the area.
Much uncertainty remains on the exact conditions on the ground and how the weekend’s violence will affect the lives of citizens across the region.
“Everything has stopped for the moment,” one TV producer with knowledge of the scene on the ground across Israel told Deadline. “People are involved in the current events. Unfortunately no time for filming.”
Earlier today, it was reported that Gaia Tridente, director of Rome-based TV market MIA, said industry professionals from Israel, including Where Is Anne Frank filmmaker Ari Folman, were unable to attend the annual event due to the conflict.
On Saturday, Live Nation Israel canceled a planned Bruno Mars concert in Tel Aviv. In a statement posted on social media, the company said it stands “with the residents of Israel, IDF fighters, and the security forces in these difficult times.” Mars had been scheduled to perform twice in Tel Aviv at Yarkon Park.
Alongside the Mars concert, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has postponed all upcoming matches scheduled in Israel. The affected matches include Thursday’s Euro 2024 qualifier between Israel and Switzerland, as well as an Israeli under-21 fixture. UEFA has said it is still deciding whether to postpone another Euro 2024 qualifying match between Israel and Kosovo, scheduled for October 15.
Israel’s Arava Film Festival, mounted on the Ashosh Nature Reserve in the Central Arava region, is scheduled to take place November 1-11, while Palestine Film Days, hosted yearly in Ramallah, is scheduled for October 24 – November 1.
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