“All Eyes on Rafah” has dominated social media on Tuesday as global support surged for Palestinians residing in the southern Gaza city, which is currently under intense Israeli military operations.
Israeli shelling and airstrikes over the weekend resulted in the deaths of at least 45 people, most of whom were sheltering in tents in Rafah. The strike, which also left hundreds of civilians with shrapnel and burn wounds, was launched late on Sunday, prompting condemnation from international leaders.
Despite an order from the top UN court last week to halt its operations in Rafah, Israeli forces have continued their assault. Israel described the loss of life as “a tragic accident,” stating that its munitions alone could not have caused the deadly blaze and that the strike targeted and killed two senior Hamas militants.
The attack has sparked global outrage against Israel, with numerous individuals taking to social media to protest the deadly incident.
“All Eyes on Rafah” refers to the ongoing crisis in Rafah, Gaza, where over 1.4 million Palestinians are seeking shelter. The phrase aims to draw attention to the plight of those in Rafah amidst the Israeli offensive. Iran’s Embassy in India highlighted this on X, featuring an image, seemingly AI-generated, depicting tents arranged to spell out “All Eyes on Rafah.” This slogan serves as a plea for the international community to remain vigilant about the situation in Rafah, where many have fled from violent conflict elsewhere in Gaza.
The phrase likely originated from a comment by Rick Peeperkorn, director of the WHO’s Office of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who remarked in February, “All eyes are on Rafah,” following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order for an evacuation plan for the city ahead of planned attacks on what he claims are the last Hamas strongholds.
Influencers and celebrities in India, including actors Varun Dhawan, Aly Goni, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Tripti Dimri, have also shared “All Eyes on Rafah” graphics on their Instagram stories.
Support groups such as Save the Children, Oxfam, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign have adopted the slogan as well.
The hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah has garnered over 195,000 posts and millions of views on TikTok, and it was trending on Instagram on Tuesday with nearly 100,000 posts.
