Since yesterday, a post has been circulating on social media accounts of numerous celebrities and the general public, stating “All eyes on Rafah.” For those unfamiliar, Rafah is a city in the southern part of Gaza, Palestine. Since the war between Israel and Hamas began, many civilians, including children, the elderly, and women, have taken refuge there. Late Sunday night, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) launched an airstrike in Rafah, killing 45 people and injuring more than 200.
Israel has faced global condemnation for this action, as it had previously declared Rafah a safe zone for Gaza’s citizens, meaning it was supposed to be off-limits for attacks. According to the United Nations, six million children are also residing in this city. Addressing the attack, the IDF stated that they took this action after intercepting several Hamas missiles, resulting in the death of two Hamas members as well. Israel had earlier claimed that numerous Hamas tunnels in Rafah lead towards Egypt and other countries, which had prompted an increase in military operations along the Rafah border. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as a “tragic error”.
This attack on Rafah a “Safe Zone” for Gaza civilians has drawn severe backlash from many countries.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Israel must cease these operations, as there is no longer any safe place in Gaza. Numerous other leaders like Canada’s FM Melanie Jolie, Turkish Prez Tayyip Erdogan, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and the United Nations have also condemned Israel’s actions. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked “There is no safe place left in Gaza, this horror must stop”. The UN further commented that the images from the last night serve as testament that “Gaza is hell on earth”.
India also saw significant outrage. Celebrities like Varun Dhawan, Madhuri Dixit, Samantha, Dulquer Salmaan, Radhika Apte, Vijay Verma, Ritika Sharma, Swara Bhaskar, and many others posted stories on their social media accounts with the phrase “All eyes on Rafah.”
This Israeli attack followed a series of significant events. International court of Justice had ruled that Israel must immediately halt its military operations in Rafah. The court also mandated that Israel keep the Rafah crossing with Egypt open to allow humanitarian aid and permit UN investigators to gather evidence regarding alleged war crimes. Subsequently, Norway, Spain, and Ireland recognized Palestine as a state, reflecting the global leaders’ discontent.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Norway, Spain, and Ireland officially recognized Palestine as a state, and the Palestinian flag was hoisted outside the Irish Parliament. According to media reports, Israel has not yet completely ceased its operations in Rafah.
