The viral image shows a vast expanse of tents set against a desert backdrop, with imposing mountains in the distance, symbolizing the plight of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who sought refuge in Rafah during the military campaign against Hamas.
Celebrities worldwide, including Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal and prominent models Bella and Gigi Hadid, who have Palestinian roots, and French football star Ousmane Dembele, joined the viral campaign by sharing the image on their social media platforms.
No wonder when other Bollywood celebrities were posting “All eyes on Rafah”, these people were nowhere to be seen. Now I understand why. Never forget the faces of these zionist supporters. pic.twitter.com/LymoLgc8KA
— Aashi🪓 (@atmanirbhar_kid) May 30, 2024
Read more: Erdogan labels Netanyahu a “psychopath” and “vampire” amid Rafah attacks
Several Bollywood actors also shared the post on Instagram; however, they received significant backlash from their fans for supporting the Palestinian campaign, reigniting the “Boycott Bollywood” trend. Madhuri Dixit was among the Bollywood celebrities who promoted the widely shared “All Eyes On Rafah” campaign in favor of Palestine. She quickly removed her Instagram Stories, but social media users chastised her for doing so.
Makes me wonder none of bollywood Khans ever uttered a word for Palestinians, they really sold their soul to the devil. https://t.co/bGTCIBNbxO
— Haroon (@ThisHaroon) May 28, 2024
Beyond Instagram, the rallying cry of “All eyes on Rafah” circulated across various social media channels, particularly on X, where the hashtag #alleyesonrafah gained significant traction with nearly a million mentions. Concurrently, discussions related to the Israeli assault on Gaza on X surged, with over 27.5 million messages exchanged in the past three days alone.
Read more: Images ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ shared 40 million times globally
The Israeli airstrikes on Rafah resulted in a devastating fire at a relief shelter, causing 45 civilian fatalities, including children, and injuring 249 individuals. In response to the widespread dissemination of the “All eyes on Rafah” image, Israeli authorities launched their own social media initiative, unveiling a photo captioned “what your eyes fail to see,” highlighting the plight of hostages held by Hamas following the October 7 attacks.
The Benjamin Netanyahu-led government shared the poster on X with the caption, “Where were your eyes on October 7?” The post also stated that Israel would never stop talking about October 7 and would continue to fight for its hostages.
Alia, who is Pooja’s half-sister, took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday and re-shared a post by @themotherhoodhome which read, “All children deserve love. All children deserve safety. All children deserve peace. All children deserve life. And all mothers deserve to be able to give their children those things (red heart doodle).” Alia wrote in the caption, “#AllEyesOnRafah.”
Kareena Kapoor also took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday to re-share a post by the official Instagram handle of UNICEF. In it, Executive Director Catherine Russell condemned the killing of children and families in Rafah, and called the act “unconscionable.” Varun Dhawan also took to his Instagram stories to share the “All Eyes on Rafah” image.