Sean Penn. Photo: BauerGriffin/INSTARimages via Reuters Connect

An Australian satirical television series about war hostages that Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn produces and stars in has dropped out of Mipcom, an international television conference in Cannes, France, and it’s launch date has been postponed because of the war raging between Israel and Hamas.

“In light of the current situation unfolding in Israel, we have taken the decision not to showcase C*A*U*G*H*T at Mipcom this year,” said the show’s distributor Fremantle, according to Variety. “At this time, our hearts and thoughts are with our colleagues and our partners in Israel, and all those affected.”

The British streaming service ITVX, which was set to premiere the six-episode series exclusively on Thursday, is also delaying the launch of the show until further notice, Deadline reported.

The original series follows “four Australian soldiers sent on a covert mission to a war-torn country,” according to its official plot description. “Mistaken for Americans, they are captured by freedom fighters and produce a hostage video that goes viral. When the soldiers reach celebrity status, they realize that being caught might just be the best thing that could’ve happened to them.”

C*A*U*G*H*T was scheduled to have a Media Mastermind Keynote presentation at Mipcom on Oct. 18, two days after the conference starts. The event was also set to feature an onstage conversation with Penn, series star Matthew Fox, and Kick Gurry, the show’s creator, writer, and director. Penn serves as co-executive producer on the show and plays himself in the series.

Dozens of Israeli civilians — including women, children, and the elderly — have been taken hostage by Hamas to the Gaza Strip, from which the Palestinian terrorist group launched its initial attack against Israel on Saturday morning.