The Israeli offensive on Gaza, which killed dozens of Palestinians on Sunday, has drawn global ire. The attack triggered fires in several tents, which killed many. As a result, thousands of Palestinians who had taken shelter there were forced to leave the city.
As pictures of the horrifying aftermath of the attack surfaced, a campaign, ‘All Eyes on Rafah,’ started trending on social media. The image shows tents in a camp arranged to form the word ‘All Eyes on Rafah,’ It exhorts people not to forget the misery and travails of the people in the Gaza Strip.
A number of international football stars and artists participated in the solidarity campaign, which raises the slogan “All Eyes on Rafah,” in light of the deadly strikes it is being subjected to, which have claimed the lives of dozens of Gazans.
Through their accounts on social networking sites, football stars published a unified image of the campaign, which was very popular, amid international pressure demanding that Israel cease fire, with the rising number of civilian deaths, including children and women, especially after the “bombing of refugee tents.”
At the forefront of the solidarity campaign were Liverpool defender Konate, Paris Saint-Germain player Ousmane Dembélé, Senegalese Edouard Mendy, his compatriot Nicholas Jackson, Chelsea player, William Saliba, Arsenal defender, and Riyad Mahrez, Saudi Arabian player for Al-Ahly Jeddah.
According to a report in a popular Indian TV channel, the campaign soon gained universal support, with Bollywood and Hollywood stars, leading sports figures and models throwing their weight behind the drive. Among them were Varun Dhawan, Aly Goni, Samantha Ruth Prabhu sharing the image on their Instagram Stories.
Actresses Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Susan Sarandon, Australian cricketer Travis Head, model Bella Hadid and British singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock also joined in.
Support groups like Save the Children, Oxfam, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign have also adopted the slogan.
The image has been shared over 29 million times on Instagram in less than 24 hours.
The slogan is said to have originated from a statement by Rick Peeperkorn, director of the World Health Organization’s Office of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
However, some Cassandras have voiced their misgivings, saying it could be the handiwork of artificial intelligence.
The “All Eyes on Rafah” campaign highlights the difficult conditions Gaza residents are facing due to the ongoing conflict, and stresses the need for the warring parties to declare a ceasefire as soon as possible.
Through their participation, many stars are keen to shed light on the ongoing horrors of war.
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