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Palestinian medical aid fundraiser scrapped by Borth venue

Jam Pot Poster for the eventJam Pot
The Jam Pot music and entertainment event, raising money for Medical Aid for Palestinians, was booked for 28 October at Borth Community Hall

An event raising money for medical aid for Palestinians in Gaza has been called off by the venue set to host it.

The fundraiser, for UK charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, was due to be held at Borth Community Hall, Ceredigion, on 28 October.

Organiser Alex Harwood said she was "hurt and dismayed" by the hall's decision to cancel the event.

Ray Quant, hall committee chairman, said members did not want to be perceived as supporting only one side.

Ms Harwood said the aim of the event was to raise funds for those in need of "medical or life-saving treatment as they are caught up in the most extreme violence and war through no fault of their own".

"We were aware of the serious situation where medical aid for victims of conflict was scarce, particularly for children and we were moved to raise funds," she said.

Google Borth Community HallGoogle
Borth Community Hall was set to host the event, which was booked in August, later this month

Ms Harwood claimed the event was cancelled by the community hall committee as she was told it "could be perceived that the venue would be seen as sympathetic to a terrorist attack".

"All we hope is that somewhere along the line compassion and logic will prevail and allow us to raise these much-needed funds," she added.

In an email to Ms Harwood on 12 October, seen by the BBC, Mr Quant said: "Our view is that with the present conflict we don't want it to be 'perceived' that the hall committee is promoting one of the protagonists.

"Even though many on both sides are innocent, because the present situation needs the United Nations or others to broker a humanitarian aid corridor to address the unfolding human crisis."

Watch: I have the thought of me dying in a bomb in Gaza - British-Palestinian girl

Mr Quant said: "My committee members feel it should be a fundraising event which supports both medical sides of the conflict.

"Borth Community Council has convened a meeting for Thursday evening and following that I will hold a further meeting with the hall committee."

Isabelle Railton, Borth Community Council clerk, said: "We're holding a meeting of the community council and any members of the public that would like to attend on Thursday at 19:00 BST.

"We are not the hall committee, but it has been brought to our attention by members of the public that are unhappy with the decision."

The meeting will be held online and members of the public wishing to attend have been asked to contact the community council.

On 7 October, Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel, which saw its fighters enter communities near the Gaza Strip, killing more than 1,400 people, and taking many as hostages.

Nearly 2,700 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched retaliatory air strikes and a ground offensive is also expected.

The largest UN agency in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of collapse, its chief commissioner said.

Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, said in a speech from the agency's headquarters in East Jerusalem on Sunday: "Gaza is being strangled and it seems that the world right now has lost its humanity."

"If we look at the issue of water - we all know water is life - Gaza is running out of water, and Gaza is running out of life. Soon, I believe, with this there will be no food or medicine either," Mr Lazzarini said, calling the siege in Gaza as "nothing else than collective punishment".