“All Eyes on Rafah”, the phrase flooded social media on Tuesday, has garnered over a hundred million shares on Instagram and TikTok within a mere 24 hours but what’s the story behind the slogan?
Over the weekend, at least 45 people were killed by Israeli shelling and airstrikes in the southern Gaza City of Rafah, the majority of whom were taking refuge in tents. World leaders denounced the late-night strike, which resulted in hundreds of civilians suffering burns and shrapnel wounds, according to Gaza medics.
After the incident, the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) shared a post on X and wrote, “Gaza has become hell on earth. Families continue to seek refuge, trying to escape war, but there is no such thing as a safe place in the Gaza Strip. No one is safe: not civilians, not aid workers, no one has been spared. We need a #CeasefireNow”.
The attack triggered global outrage against Israel, with many people taking to social media to post against the deadly attack.
On social media, an AI-generated image featuring the phrase “All Eyes on Rafah,” set against a backdrop of tents in a desert, has been shared nearly 100 million times to raise awareness about the ongoing genocide. The hashtag #alleyesonrafah has also been used in TikTok videos that have garnered millions of views. Activists and humanitarian organizations are leveraging this phrase to draw global attention to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
The image has spread widely through Instagram’s Stories feature, shared by influencers, athletes, and celebrities such as Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, pop star Dua Lipa, singer-songwriter Kehlani, and prominent Indian actors Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Rashmika Mandanna, Sonakshi Sinha, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Triptii Dimri, Dia Mirza, and Richa Chadha.
What does ‘All eyes on Rafah’ mean?
- An image with the caption “All eyes on Rafah” draws attention to the circumstances in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, which is close to the Egyptian border.
- Israel started bombing Gaza from the north and worked its way south after declaring war on it, forcing Palestinians to flee their homes and head south in search of safety.
- About half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents had moved into Rafah by February after Israel announced it intended to conduct a ground assault there, citing the presence of four brigades of Hamas, the Palestinian organization in charge of the Strip.
- The announcement sparked widespread condemnation. The WHO envoy for Gaza and the occupied West Bank, Richard “Rik” Peeperkorn, stated in February that “everyone’s eyes” are focused on the upcoming Rafah offensive. It’s thought that his speech inspired the phrase “All eyes on Rafah.”
