Viral 'All Eyes on Rafah' Takes Internet by Storm with 44 Million Plus Shares on Instagram

The image "All eyes on Rafah" has gone viral with over 44 million shares on Instagram. Celebrities like Gigi Hadid, Priyanka Chopra, Atlee and others have shared the image, amplifying its impact. The hashtag #alleyesonrafah has also trended on other social media platforms, with nearly one million hits on X.

Hyderabad: An image captioned "All eyes on Rafah" has taken Instagram by storm with over 44 million shares since Monday, in the wake of a devastating Israeli airstrike on a Palestinian refugee camp in Gaza. The image shows a vast expanse of desert, dotted with rows upon rows of tents, serving as a poignant reminder of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, who sought refuge in the camp during Israel's military operation against Hamas.

The image has resonated deeply with celebrities, including Chilean-US actor Pedro Pascal, supermodels Bella and Gigi Hadid, and French football sensation Ousmane Dembele, who have all shared the picture on their respective Instagram handles. The outpouring of support has been just as strong from Indian celebrities, with Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and numerous others, including Sonam Kapoor, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Varun Dhawan, Hina Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Atlee, Dulquer Salmaan, Vir Das, Dia Mirza, Triptii Dimri, Shilpa Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, and Rakul Preet Singh.

In addition to Instagram, the phrase "All eyes on Rafah" has also sparked a massive response on other social media platforms. On X, the hashtag #alleyesonrafah has racked up almost one million hits, according to online portal. Furthermore, in just three days, the platform has seen a staggering 27.5 million messages posted about the incident.

On Sunday, the Israeli airstrike on the camp resulted in a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 45 people and injured 249 others, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. The Israeli military has stated that it had targeted and killed two high-ranking Hamas militants. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the event as a "tragic accident" and assured that his government was conducting a thorough investigation into the matter.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict was triggered by Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, leaving 1,189 people dead, mainly civilians, and taking 252 individuals hostage. According to Israeli authorities, 37 of those have lost their lives, while 121 remain in Gaza. In response, Israel's retaliatory offensive has claimed the lives of at least 36,171 people in Gaza, with the majority being civilians, as reported by the health ministry under Hamas control.

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