The “All Eyes On Rafah” phrase is popular on social media. Learn about its history and effects.

The months-old campaign slogan “All Eyes on Rafah” has garnered tremendous traction, especially in Western Europe, Australia, and India, as Israeli troops continue their ground onslaught on Rafah, a densely populated city in the Gaza Strip. Activists and humanitarian organizations are using this slogan as a call to action to draw attention to the ongoing turmoil.

Important Information

The World Health Organization’s Office of the Occupied Palestinian Territories director, Rick Peeperkorn, made a remark that is where the slogan first appeared. “All eyes are on Rafah,” said Peeperkorn in February, just after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an order for the population to evacuate ahead of impending attacks. The goal of these strikes was to destroy what Netanyahu believed to be the remaining bastions of the extremist organization Hamas.

“All Eyes on Rafah” is meant to remind onlookers not to overlook the circumstances in Rafah, where some 1.4 million people are seeking refuge after escaping deadly conflicts in other parts of Gaza. Israel is still on the offensive in the region despite the substantial civilian population.

At demonstrations in places like Paris, London, New York City, and Los Angeles, groups including Save the Children, Oxfam, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign have all embraced the phrase and used it as a rallying cry.

Actors Varun Dhawan, Aly Goni, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Tripti Dimri are among the Indian celebrities who have shared “All Eyes on Rafah” visuals on their Instagram stories. Model Bella Hadid, British singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Australian cricket star Travis Head, and actresses Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Susan Sarandon are among the other well-known people who have spoken out.

.With over 195,000 postings and millions of views on TikTok, the hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah was trending on Instagram with close to 100,000 posts. Zach Matari, a Palestinian-American pop musician, and Lubna Alhilo, Liz Kuhn, and Reema Bassoumi are among the creators of well-known TikTok videos.

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Israel has come under fire from around the world for its attack on a Hamas facility on Sunday, which left dozens of civilians dead near Rafah. Although Netanyahu called the killings of civilians a “tragic accident,” attacks persisted. 21 more individuals are said to have died during an airstrike on a “humanitarian area” in west Rafah, despite the Israeli army’s denial of any participation.

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For months, while Israel works to eradicate the last few Hamas outposts, there have been discussions over concerns regarding mass casualties in Rafah. Israeli officials declared their intention to launch an offensive in February after determining that Rafah was the final major Hamas bastion in Gaza. The violence has continued despite cease-fire talks and intermittent negotiations. A Hamas spokesperson declared that the organization would not take part in any more negotiations for a Gaza truce after Sunday’s attack. Prior to the attack, the Israeli military had ordered evacuations in the vicinity of Gaza’s border with Israel; nonetheless, later on, places deemed safe were bombarded.

Chief Critic

Because of the large number of civilians, world leaders—including US President Joe Biden—have condemned Israel’s conduct in Rafah. According to Biden, the United States will give Israel defensive arms, but it won’t give Israel guns or artillery shells for attacks in Rafah. Though it lacks the resources to carry out the warrants, the International Criminal Court recently declared that it is requesting arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, and Hamas for alleged war crimes.

viral IMAGE

viral IMAGE

With tents erected to spell out “All Eyes on Rafah,” an image highlighting the Gaza crisis has received over 29 million posts on Instagram in less than a day. This increase is indicative of a fresh social media campaign by pro-Palestinian activists in the wake of a fatal Israeli bombing. The picture was uploaded by celebrities and influencers like Varun Dhawan, Kehlani, and Nicola Coughlan, mostly via Instagram’s Stories feature.

The “All Eyes on Rafah” graphic has gone viral despite attempts by Instagram’s parent company Meta to slow the distribution of political content. Rafah’s graphically violent films, however, have been taken off or limited. Instagram argues that these removals are the result of the content’s violent character, which goes against platform guidelines.

Examening

The “All Eyes on Rafah” trend shows how activists can utilize AI to produce material that is both impactful and compliant with platform guidelines. AI-generated graphics, such as the one endorsing this tagline, can be produced rapidly and may avoid automated moderation, which increases their potential for going viral.

Following the October 7 attacks, when Israel started its offensive in Gaza, pro-Palestinian action on social media has increased dramatically. The increasing online mobilization for the Palestinian cause is reflected in the most recent social media efforts, which include the widespread blocking of celebrities who have not backed the Palestinian cause.

Israeli forces began their push on Rafah on Sunday, resulting in numerous civilian deaths, including those brought on by airstrike-caused fires. Israeli officials continue to insist that instances such as the explosion of the fuel tank were accidents, despite the international outcry.

Arguments about Meta’s content moderation guidelines are still present, particularly in relation to pro-Palestinian language. But AI-generated material might open up new possibilities for digital activism, enabling campaigns like “All Eyes on Rafah” to get across platform boundaries and reach a large audience.