On May 26, Israel launched an assault on Rafah, a designated safe zone in the Gaza Strip where millions of Palestinians have been seeking refuge. The Israeli air strikes killed at least 45 people that day, an attack that has been internationally condemned. As the humanitarian crisis intensifies, millions of people have taken to Instagram to show their support for people in Palestine with a graphic emblazoned with the words “All Eyes on Rafah”.
The viral image has been shared widely across feeds in the last 24 hours, provoking debate on social media. At the time of writing, the image has been shared by 39.9 million accounts, including those of prominent celebrities like singer Kehlani, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, and Indian actor Varun Dhawan.
The template was created by Instagram user @shahv4012, who has put together multiple graphics in solidarity in Palestine during the ongoing war, giving the option for other users to share them more widely. It’s been reported to be an AI-generated image, one depicting Palestinian refugee camps overlaid with the words “All Eyes on Rafah” constructed by white tents.
Instagram, where the viral story is most predominantly being shared, has been accused of shadow-banning content about Palestine since October last year. In December, a report by Human Rights Watch found that Meta, parent company to Instagram and Facebook, has engaged in “systemic online censorship” and the “silencing voices in support of Palestine” since hostilities began between Israeli forces and Hamas following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.
The viewership on the “All Eyes on Rafah” story has seemingly surpassed visibility issues on the app, and is continuing to gain traction. Social media users have pointed out that this is arguably the most widely-shared graphic in support of Palestine during the war. This may be, in part, because the story could be shared with the use of Instagram’s “Add Yours” template.
Read more: mashable.com