Viral All Eyes On Rafah

### “All Eyes on Rafah” Image Goes Viral on Instagram After Israeli Airstrike

A widely shared image on Instagram calling attention to the war in Gaza has garnered over 29 million shares in less than 24 hours, following an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 45 civilians in Rafah, an area in the southern part of Gaza. The image, seemingly AI-generated, features tents in a camp arranged to spell out “All Eyes on Rafah,” underscoring a renewed social media effort by Palestinian supporters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the casualties in Hebrew, calling them a “tragic mishap,” which his office later translated to English as a “tragic incident.” The image has seen significant shares via Instagram Stories, particularly among influencers and celebrities such as Nicola Coughlan, Kehlani, and Varun Dhawan.

Instagram has become a crucial platform for Palestinian journalists and advocates, despite Meta’s efforts to limit political content. While the “All Eyes on Rafah” image has spread quickly, graphic videos from Rafah posted by Palestinian journalists have faced restrictions or removal due to their violent content. NBC News verified that some posts depicting the aftermath of the strikes were removed or flagged with a sensitive content filter by Instagram, citing policy violations regarding violent and graphic material.

The image has echoed similar viral content endorsed by highly followed social media personalities over the past eight months. Social media consultant Matt Navarra noted the growing trend of influencers and celebrities sharing such messages, amplifying their reach across multiple platforms.

Marc Owen Jones, a Middle East studies associate professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, identified signs that the image is AI-generated, such as its non-photorealistic appearance, unusual shadows, and an unnaturally symmetrical tent camp.

Pro-Palestinian activism on social media has surged periodically since Israel’s assault on Gaza following the October 7 terrorist attacks, which resulted in over 1,100 civilian deaths and over 200 hostages taken. Recently, a mass blocking campaign targeted celebrities who have not shown vocal support for Palestinians, while pro-Israel social media activity also spiked, particularly during university campus protests related to the war.

Despite global outcry, Israeli forces continued their offensive in Rafah, causing further civilian casualties, including young children. An Israeli official stated that a fuel tank explosion, triggered by an airstrike, was responsible for the fire that killed many civilians.

The original poster of the “All Eyes on Rafah” image did not respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, Meta has been reviewing its moderation policies, debating whether popular pro-Palestinian rhetoric like “from the river to the sea” violates its policies, while also trying to limit political speech on its platforms. AI-generated content has seen significant engagement on Meta’s platforms, including Facebook.

Navarra highlighted that AI-generated images like “All Eyes on Rafah” could bypass some automated moderation systems by embedding text directly into images, allowing for quick creation and dissemination compared to traditional digital art. He suggested that such content might evade keyword detection and other moderation tools, contributing to its viral spread.