Israel’s Response to the “Focus on Rafah” Image

The recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has sparked a global social media movement, with millions of users sharing the ‘All Eyes On Rafah’ image to bring attention to the civilian casualties in Rafah. However, Israel has responded with its own image, questioning why people did not post about the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

The October 7 attack by Hamas resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and the seizure of about 250 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign to destroy Hamas has since killed at least 31,112 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

In response to the international outrage over the Rafah air strike, Israel denied targeting the refugee camp and claimed that the damage was caused by a secondary fire from a rocket hitting a Hamas weapons facility. The government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, shared an image on social media asking, “Where were your eyes on October 7,” depicting a Hamas militant standing in front of a baby.

The ‘All Eyes On Rafah’ image went viral, with nearly 45 million users sharing it on Instagram. Indian celebrities such as Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Alia Bhatt, and Kareena Kapoor Khan also joined the movement, posting the image to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza.

As the conflict continues to escalate, the world watches closely, torn between the devastating loss of life and the complex geopolitical dynamics at play in the region.