By – Prakarsh Kastwar
“All Eyes on Rafah” – the term inundated social media on Tuesday as people from all over the world expressed their support for Palestinians living in Rafah, a city in war-torn Gaza.
“All Eyes on Rafah” – the term flooded social media on Tuesday as people from all over the world expressed their support for Palestinians living in the southern Gaza city where Israel is launching a large ground attack.
Over the weekend, Israeli shelling and airstrikes killed at least 45 people in Rafah, Gaza’s southern city, with the majority of them sheltering in tents. The hit, which Gaza medics say wounded hundreds of civilians with shrapnel and burn wounds, occurred late on Sunday and was condemned by world leaders.
Israel, on the other hand, described the number of casualties as “a terrible accident” and claimed that its forces had targeted and killed two senior Hamas members in the strike, adding that its weapons could not have started the devastating fire.
The attack sparked global indignation against Israel, with many individuals resorting to social media to condemn the terrible act.
“All Eyes on Rafah” is a slogan used to describe the ongoing genocide in Rafah, Gaza, where over 1.4 million Palestinians are seeking refuge, according to Iran’s Embassy in India.
The image, which appears to have been created by artificial intelligence, portrays tents in a camp arranged to spell out “All Eyes on Rafah,” a refugee camp region in southern Gaza. The statement is intended to urge spectators not to ignore what is going on in Rafah, where up to 1.4 million people are seeking refuge after escaping brutal fighting elsewhere in Gaza, as Israel continues its attack.
The slogan was most likely inspired by a statement made by Rick Peeperkorn, director of the WHO’s Office of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in February: “All eyes are on Rafah,” after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an evacuation plan for the city ahead of planned attacks on what he claims are Hamas’ last strongholds.
Several Indian influencers and celebrities, including actors Varun Dhawan, Aly Goni, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Tripti Dimri, shared “All Eyes on Rafah” visuals on their Instagram stories.
The slogan has been adopted by support groups such as Save the Children, Oxfam, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
On TikTok, the hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah has amassed over 195,000 posts and millions of views; on Tuesday, about 100,000 posts were using it as a trend.