You might have come across an image of tents that have been arranged to spell out the phrase ‘All eyes on Rafah,’ or you might have seen people using it in their stories or posts on social media. Their support is being shown to the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, which suffered 45 deaths and over 200 injuries after an Israeli airstrike on Sunday.
An airstrike took place in a camp for displaced people in Rafah on May 26, as per Reuters. This happened following Hamas’ launch of rockets in the Tel Aviv area. This attack has triggered a global outrage, with many condemning it and several demanding a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Hamas entered Israel last year through the Gaza border with a deadly attack that left hundreds dead. The group now controls the polity. The attack on Rafah happened two days after the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) decided to stop Israel from attacking the city.
“Israel must immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah Governorate which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part,” ICJ President Judge Nawaf Salam said in the order. The order was supported by 13 out of 15 judges. Celebrities such as Priyanka Chopra, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Tripti Dimri, and Richa Chadha shared this phrase with various individuals. The viral phrase was also shared by Ritika Sajdeh, the wife of Rohit Sharma, who deleted it after being trolled by netizens. The Rafah story has been shared by over 39 million Instagram users and continues to be shared.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people, most of whom were civilians. Many people were also taken as hostages by the group. The retaliatory attacks by Israel have resulted in the deaths and injuries of thousands of people. Actually, HAMAS formed in late 1987 at the beginning of the first Palestinian intifada (uprising). Its roots are in the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, and it is supported by a robust sociopolitical structure inside the Palestinian territories.
