The slogan “All eyes are on Rafah” has been widely circulated on social media since Israel attacked the Gaza city of Rafah this week, killing dozens of civilians and sparking international outrage.
For months, the phrase has served as a touchstone in the social and cultural dialogue surrounding Israel’s war with Hamas in the region. It has popped up from time to time on social media, especially as Israel’s military assault on the city, located in the southern Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian border, has escalated.
The phrase trended again on Wednesday, this time via a seemingly AI-generated image of a refugee tent with the words “All eyes are on Rafah” written on it. A version of the image was shared more than 38 million times on Instagram.
The phrase may have originated from remarks made in February by Rik Peeperkorn, director of the World Health Organization’s office for Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, at a press conference as the Israeli army stepped up its military operations in the southern Gaza Strip.
“All eyes are on Rafa,” Mr. Piperkorn At that time,.
The comment was almost immediately cited by pro-Palestinian and humanitarian organizations to draw attention to Gaza and Rafah, one of the last destinations for displaced Palestinians from other parts of the region. These included Save the Children International, Oxfam, and later pro-Palestinian lobby groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace.
This has also been heard among pro-Palestinian people. protest The trend hit Western universities earlier this month.
deadly strike Sunday in Rafah condemn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack killed two Hamas officials and called the civilian deaths a “tragic accident.”
