The AI-generated image ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ has been shared more than 40 million times since Israel’s onslaught on Rafah, a border area in South with Egpyt.
The image shows refugee tents with the text ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ has been shared more than 40 million times on Instagram stories across the globe. Global celebrities and citizens from all over the world are expressing their solidarity with the people of Gaza and Palestine. Within a week, the image has become the touchstone of solidarity with the people of Gaza.
So from where did the phrase All Eyes on Rafah originate? The phrase first originated in February from the statements of Rik Peeperkorn, the head of the World Health Organization’s office for Gaza and West Bank. While addressing the press conference, Peeperkorn said, “All eyes are on Rafah.” He passed these statements when Israel intensified its offensive in Southern Gaza.
Read more: Israeli tanks reportedly reach center of Rafah
The statement was taken into use by pro-Palestine protestors to protest against the ongoing onslaught against Palestinians. The phrase reverberated globally after Israel’s deadly airstrike on the refugee tents in Gaza on Sunday, claiming the lives of innocent and unarmed civilians. The attack attracted worldwide condemnation.
Since the start of the war, people went to the south which was considered a safe place. About half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population have moved to Gaza, in hopes of saving lives from indiscriminate bombing from Israel. The recent attack on Rafah after the International Court of Justice had warned Israel to stop its offensive in Rafah. At least 45 people were killed in Sunday’s airstrikes. The attacks continued this week too.
The AI image of Gaza has caught the attention of celebrities who were earlier tight-lipped about the war in Gaza and are now speaking up. Bollywood celebrities are also part of the trend including bigwigs Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, and others.