Cairo - Many entertainers and organizations in the Arab world have cancelled their New Year's celebrations in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip following four days of a massive Israeli air offensive.

Four days of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in the tiny enclave has left at least 380 Palestinians dead and more than 1,800 injured, prompting angry demonstrations that have overtaken the festive mood typically behind New Year's celebrations.

The head of the Cairo Opera House, Abdel Moneim Kamel, announced the postponement of Egyptian singer Mohamed Mounir's concert, which had been scheduled for New Year's Eve. A new date for the concert has not been set, but it will most likely take place later in January, an official at the opera house told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa on Tuesday.

Mounir has given a concert at the venue on New Year's Eve for 10 consecutive years. Tickets for his performances are usually packed with audiences of up to 50,000 and are cheaper than those held in five-star hotels on the same night.

The singer, dubbed 'The King' by his audience, expressed his grief over developments in the Gaza Strip, and said, "delaying the concert is a message sent to the whole world, so that it would move forward and help the people in Gaza."

The postponement came as part of a decision by the Egyptian government to delay - or even cancel - events organized to celebrate the new year. An Egyptian operetta set for a recording to celebrate the festive season was delayed. And Thursday's scheduled debut of a new TV channel, Nile Comedy, was also put off.

"Besides postponing the launch of Nile Comedy, we have replaced all festive shows on our schedule with documentary films," said Osama al-Sheikh, head of Egypt's Nile Thematic channels, affiliated to the Egyptian Radio and Television Union.

Jordanian Television, meanwhile, pulled all its festive shows from the screen, while many concert planners announced cancellations, which are increasingly depriving Arab stars of lucrative gigs to usher in the new year.

Competition is not restricted to singers alone, but also to hotels and venues in Cairo, Beirut and Dubai, who compete to attract the most famous singers and boost revenue.

Although there was no official statement, fan clubs of Iraqi singer Kazem al-Saher confirmed that his Bahrain concert was cancelled in support of the Palestinian victims of the Israeli military operation.

A Turkish TV channel also reportedly cancelled the musical concerts it had planned to hold in Istanbul. Many in the Arab world appeared to approve of the decision.

Thousands in the region have taken to the streets to protest the Israeli attacks. Israel said it launched the offensive after Hamas ended a ceasefire and began launching rockets into Israel.

"Yes, it (celebrations) is something we have been looking forward to and wait for once in a year," said 23-year-old Hagar Ebada. "Yet, cancelling these events is only something natural amid such bad times we live in. I cannot see children dying, and other civilians losing all loved ones, while covered with blood, then go out to celebrate."

"I do not care whether these decision to cancel or postpone the festivities comes from the organizers or the singers themselves. But it has made me appreciate both more. Now, for example, I love Mounir more than ever, because besides his deep beautiful voice, he has a deep beautiful soul," she told (dpa.)