As Israeli forces intensify their assault on the densely populated city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, the “All eyes on Rafah” campaign is rapidly gaining traction, particularly in Western Europe, Australia, and India. This movement aims to raise awareness about the ongoing conflict, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 36,171 Palestinians.
The phrase, which has become a social media phenomenon, reportedly originated from Rick Peeperkorn, the director of the World Health Organization’s Office for Occupied Palestinian Territories. His comment, “All eyes are on Rafah,” came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an evacuation plan for the civilians in Rafah.
The Global Movement
Intended as a call to keep global attention focused on the plight of Rafah’s residents—where up to 1.4 million people have sought refuge from the violence across Gaza—the slogan has been echoed by numerous organizations including Save the Children, Oxfam, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. This phrase has also been prominently featured in protests in cities like Paris, London, New York, and Los Angeles.
Social media has seen a massive outpouring of support, with millions of users, including celebrities, sharing the hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah. On TikTok alone, there are over 195,000 posts with millions of views, while Instagram saw the topic trending with a vast number of related posts. Palestinian-American pop singer Zach Matari’s videos on the platform have attracted millions of views this month.
International Reactions
The campaign’s rise coincides with heightened international condemnation of Israel following an airstrike aimed at a Hamas complex in Rafah that inadvertently killed dozens of civilians. Although Netanyahu described the incident as a “tragic accident,” the Israeli military operations have continued.
Further reports from the French News Agency (AFP) indicated that 21 more individuals were killed in a subsequent airstrike on a designated “humanitarian area” in western Rafah, although the Israeli military has denied any involvement.
Discussions about the potential for high civilian casualties in Rafah have been ongoing for months as Israel seeks to eliminate Hamas’ presence. In February, Israeli officials identified Rafah as the last significant stronghold of the organization in Gaza, signaling their intent to target the area.
(With information from in.gr)
