‘All eyes on Rafah’: Bollywood celebs join campaign to support Palestine

The campaign “All eyes on Rafah” is spreading across platforms like Instagram and TikTok in large numbers continuously. 

Activists and humanitarian groups are using this phrase as a call to action. 

Its purpose is to raise global awareness about the situation unfolding in Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip.

Several Indian celebrities have voiced their support by sharing the viral phrase on their respective Instagram stories. 

These actors include Swara Bhasker, Gauahar Khan, Varun Dhawan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Honey Singh, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Nora Fatehi, Dia Mirza, and Sonam Kapoor, among others.

Their collective efforts aim to draw attention to the plight of Palestinians affected by Israeli shelling and airstrikes.

South star Samantha called out Israel's attack on Rafah on her Instagram stories with a bunch of posts.

Actor Swara Bhasker, who has been an avid supporter of Palestinian rights, shared a series of Instagram stories, venting her anger and frustration regarding the Rafah attack. “We live in a world that expects us to have a balanced response to babies being beheaded and burnt alive in tents!!!!

There are no words, only curses in my heart for the smug white men (and women and people) who did this, enabled this, abetted this, funded this, supported this, made a narrative to normalise this, celebrated this (sic).”

Fatima Sana Shaikh also shared her thoughts on Instagram stories and wrote, “Came across a really disturbing video of beheaded children in Rafah. One cannot just ignore this anymore. When will this end! (sic).”

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the strike as a "tragic accident" but also pledged to continue the military campaign to dismantle Hamas following the October 7 attack and ensure the safe return of all hostages.

The situation in Rafah remains dire, and the global community's attention is crucial to ensuring justice and relief for the affected civilians. As the campaign continues, more voices join in solidarity with the victims, urging the world not to turn away from this humanitarian catastrophe.

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Why 'All Eyes on Rafah' is trending?

"All Eyes on Rafah" – this phrase was widely shared on social media as people around the world expressed support for Palestinians in the southern Gaza city, where Israel is carrying out a major ground operation.

Israeli shelling and airstrikes over the weekend resulted in the deaths of at least 45 people, most of whom were taking shelter in tents in the southern Gaza City of Rafah. 

The attack, which Gaza medics reported left hundreds of civilians with shrapnel and burn wounds, took place late on Sunday and drew condemnation from world leaders. 

Israeli forces continued their assault on the border town despite a recent order from the top UN court to halt its operation there.

Israel referred to the loss of life as "a tragic accident," with its army stating that its munitions alone could not have caused the deadly blaze. 

The army also claimed to have targeted and killed two senior Hamas militants in the strike.

The attack sparked global outrage against Israel, prompting many people to take to social media to condemn the deadly assault.

"All Eyes on Rafah" is a phrase that refers to the ongoing crisis in Rafah, Gaza, where over 1.4 million Palestinians are seeking shelter. The Iran's Embassy in India posted about it. 

The image, which appears to be AI-generated, shows tents in a camp arranged to spell out "All Eyes on Rafah." This phrase is a plea for people not to ignore what's happening in the city of Rafah, where up to 1.4 million people are seeking shelter after fleeing from violent conflict in other parts of Gaza, as Israel continues its offensive.

The slogan likely originated from a comment by Rick Peeperkorn, director of the WHO’s Office of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who said in February, "All eyes are on Rafah," after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an evacuation plan for the city ahead of planned attacks on what he claims are the last Hamas strongholds. 

Support groups such as Save the Children, Oxfam, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign have also adopted the slogan. 

The hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah has over 195,000 posts and millions of views on TikTok. It was also trending on Instagram on Tuesday with nearly 100,000 posts.