An image has been shared by millions on social media urging people to pay attention to Israel’s ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip after Israeli airstrikes killed dozens of civilians.
The photo, which shows a row of tents stretching into the distance and the caption “Watch out for Rafa”, has now been posted to Instagram nearly 40 million times.
This comes after Israeli forces struck the southern Gaza city of Rafah, killing at least 45 people, most of them those who had taken shelter in tents that were set on fire after the bombing.
Israel said it had targeted two senior Hamas officials but had no intention of causing civilian casualties, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the civilian casualties were the result of “unfortunate, tragic mistakes.”
World leaders expressed horror at the fire in a designated humanitarian area in Rafah, where families displaced by fighting elsewhere were taking refuge.
The International Court of Justice called on Israel to stop attacks on Rafah and reiterated its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
The incident sparked further support for the Palestinians on social media, with the slogan “Pay attention to Rafa” being widely shared by celebrities including “Breaking Bad” actor Aaron Paul and “Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan.
The slogan is believed to have originated from a comment made by Rick Pieperkorn, director of the World Health Organization’s office in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
“All eyes are on Rafah,” he said ahead of Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza in February. The artwork itself is thought to have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).
“The trend of ‘Focus on Rapha’ posts has been growing for a while now,” social media consultant and industry analyst Matt Navarra told NBC.
“Not only on Instagram, but many influencers, celebrities and people with large followings across multiple platforms are sharing this message or a similar one, which will increase reach and visibility across many platforms.”
Some activists have criticized the images for being shared instead of more useful resources such as photos or videos from the scene, or even fundraising efforts.
Rafah was the main entry point for humanitarian aid until Israel stepped up its military offensive on the Gaza border earlier this month, seizing the checkpoint from the Palestinian side.
More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel launched air strikes and a ground war after Hamas-led militants attacked communities in southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to an Israeli tally.
The International Criminal Court is currently seeking to approve arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of the Hamas militant group on war crimes charges.
