‘All Eyes on Rafah’ trends in Kerala as celebs show solidary with Palestinians

It grabbed the attention of the Malayalee social media community when actor Dulquer Salmaan shared it on his Instagram. However, ‘All Eyes on Rafah’, was already trending globally on Tuesday (May 28) as people from around the world expressed solidarity with Palestinians in the southern Gaza city, where Israel is carrying out a significant ground offensive.

Over the weekend, Israeli shelling and airstrikes in Rafah has killed at least 45 people, many of whom had taken shelter in tents. Gaza medics reported that the attack, which occurred late on Sunday (May 26), also resulted in hundreds of civilians suffering from shrapnel and burn injuries, prompting condemnation from global leaders.

Why is ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ trending?

At the centre of the social media campaign was an AI-generated image which looked like an arrangement of tents to spell out the phrase ‘All Eyes on Rafah’, highlighting an area in Gaza Strip filled with refugee camps. The phrase urges people to stay aware of the situation in Rafah, where around 1.4 million people have sought refuge from the violence happening elsewhere in Gaza as Israel continues its offensive in the region.

The slogan originated from a statement made by Rick Peeperkorn, who serves as the director of the World Health Organisation’s Office of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In February, he remarked, "All eyes are on Rafah," shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the creation of an evacuation plan for the city. Netanyahu claimed this action was necessary ahead of planned attacks to eliminate what he asserts are the last remaining strongholds of Hamas.

Celebs rally for Rafah refugees

Apart from Dulquer, celebrities including Nimisha Sajayan, Keerthi Suresh, Prakash Raj, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Atlee from the southern film industry were also part of the campaign. Bollywood celebrities including Varun Dhawan, Aly Goni, and Tripti Dimri, also used the ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ photograph on their Instagram stories to convey their solidarity with Palestinians.

Interestingly, celebrities who usually steer clear of intense political campaigns were also visible in the pro-Palestinian movement. Following their involvement, right-wing trolls have started alleging that it is a paid campaign. Aggressive and coordinated trolls have begun targeting celebrities who expressed support for Palestinians in Gaza. Some have been compelled to remove their social media posts, including Ritika Sajdeh, the wife of Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma. Right-wing trolls accused her of not protesting against 'attacks on Hindus' while showing solidarity with Palestinians.

‘Terrorist act’: Kerala CM condemns attack

Kerala chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan too had taken to the social media to condemn Israel’s attack on the Rafah refugee camp.

“Protests against the invasion, backed by the United States of America, are escalating worldwide. Despite the growing dissent, Israel persists with its military offensive, disregarding the protests. Anti-imperialist factions globally should unite against this terrorist action. The people of Gaza must be assisted in returning to their normal lives. Efforts to militarise the region and oppress the Palestinian people must be thwarted,” Vijayan said on his Facebook page. .

The CPI(M) was one of the initial political parties in India to respond after the weekend offensive by Israel resulted in the loss of 45 lives in Rafah.

“Despite the direction given by the International Court of Justice to halt the offensive on Rafah, the Israeli Armed Forces are continuing their inhuman attacks. The death toll in the genocidal war on Gaza has now crossed 36,000, with thousands more buried under the rubble,” read a statement issued by the party.

CPI(M) calls for protest against ‘genocidal war’

The party called upon all democratic and peace-loving people in India to raise their voices of protest against “Israel’s genocidal war” and demanded an immediate halt to the Rafah offensive and the enforcement of a ceasefire.

“The Modi government should forthwith demand that Israel halt its war and accept a ceasefire. The government should also stop all arms exports to Israel which are being used in this barbaric war,” the party said.

INDIA bloc parties keep mum

Interestingly, no other political parties, even from the Indian bloc, have stepped forward to condemn the act. Social media handles of the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League were conspicuously silent, without any posts in solidarity with Palestine following the weekend offensive by Israel.

During the election campaign period in Kerala, the Congress found itself on the back foot as it was slow to respond to international events, particularly those with significant political implications. In contrast, the CPI(M) was always quick to react to anything related to the Middle East crisis, giving it a visible political advantage on minority and human rights issues. Consequently, the Congress and the UDF were often compelled to follow suit, especially during the election period.