What Is 'All Eyes On Rafah?' Viral Social Media Campaign Amid Israel's War On Gaza

The widespread sharing of the AI-generated image "All Eyes on Rafah" on Instagram has significantly heightened global awareness of the ongoing conflict in Rafah, Gaza.

Every other Instagram story has an image with the caption "All eyes on Rafah," which is dictating the conversation on social media about Israel's war on Gaza. Over 40 million Instagram stories have reposted the AI-generated image since Monday, the day following Israel's fatal assault on Rafah in Gaza. But first, let's understand the situation in Rafah.

Two days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to stop its offensive in Rafah, at least forty-five people were killed by Israeli artillery on Sunday in al-Mawasi, a previously designated safe zone in western Rafah.

Tuesday saw 21 people killed in another Israeli attack in a camp for displaced people west of Rafah; at least 12 of the victims were women. On Wednesday morning, reports of air attacks surfaced. The Gaza Ministry of Health reports that since October 7, Israel has killed at least 36,171 people in Gaza.  

What Exactly Does 'All Eyes On Rafah' Mean?

The image "All eyes on Rafah," which was created using artificial intelligence (AI), features a slogan that draws attention to the ongoing Israel offensive in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip that 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 operation there, citing the presence of Hamas's four brigades. 

Bollywood Celebrities Who Shared The Post

Celebrities from all over the world, including those from India like actors Alia Bhatt, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Dulquer Salmaan, Jawan director Atlee, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Swara Bhasker, Rakul Preet Singh, Richa Chadha, Bhumi Pednekar, Ileana D'Cruz, Tripti Dimri, and Nora Fatehi were among those who shared the "All Eyes On Rafah" picture.

Ritika Sajdeh, wife of India Cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, was among the celebrities who shared the "All Eyes on Rafah" post but deleted it later after getting trolled on social media.