All eyes on Rafah memes go viral amid Israeli attacks on Gaza

“All eyes on Rafah.”

Amid a surge in civilian casualties from a series of Israeli airstrikes on Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, the phrase “All eyes on Rafah” is gaining traction across social media worldwide. Images generated by artificial intelligence, depicting a refugee tent city reminiscent of Rafah, are spreading as anti-war memes.

Prominent figures, including Palestinian-American models Gigi and Bella Hadid, British singer Dua Lipa, and French football player Ousmane Dembélé, are leading the charge in sharing these images. At least 44 million related images have been shared on social media platforms.

Al Jazeera and other outlets reported on Wednesday (local time) that images showing endless rows of tents against vast desert and snow-capped mountains are proliferating on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. The surge in online activity intensified after the Israeli military's concentrated attack on the Tel Al-Sultan refugee camp in Rafah on May 26, which resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people, prompting increased international condemnation of Israel. The phrase “All eyes on Rafah” was first used in February by Richard Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization's representative of Palestinian relief, in criticism of Israeli attacks on civilians.

Those sharing these images are highlighting the issue of Israel targeting refugee camps rather than military facilities. They argue that refugee camps, initially designated as safe zones for Gaza residents, are being attacked after civilians were relocated there. Additionally, the campaign seeks to draw attention to the deepening humanitarian crisis caused by delays in the delivery of aid through the Rafah border crossing, exacerbated by Israel's restrictions. On Wednesday, the Israeli military announced its full control over the Philadelphi Route, a corridor linking Rafah to Egypt, asserting it was necessary to prevent its use by Hamas for smuggling operations.


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