 "All eyes on Rafah")
A social media post urging attention to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza has garnered over 34 million shares on Instagram within a mere 24 hours, highlighting a renewed online advocacy effort by supporters of the Palestinian cause following a deadly Israeli airstrike.
The image depicts tents in a camp arranged to spell out "All Eyes on Rafah," referencing an area in the southern region of Gaza populated by refugee tent camps, where local authorities reported the loss of at least 45 civilian lives following an Israeli airstrike on Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the casualties as a "tragic mishap" in his remarks to the country's Parliament in Hebrew, with his office later offering clarifications in English, translating the phrase as a "tragic incident."
Celebrities come out in support of 'All Eyes on Rafah'
The image has predominantly circulated through Instagram's Stories feature, with influencers, athletes, and notable celebrities such as Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, singer-songwriter Kehlani, and leading Indian actors Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Rashmika Mandanna, Sonakshi Sinha, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Triptii Dimri, Dia Mirza, and Richa Chadha posting it.
Rohit Sharma's wife trolled for 'All Eyes on Rafah' story
Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma's wife, Ritika Sajdeh, was also among the celebrities who shared 'All Eyes on Rafah' posts. However, she was quick to delete the post after receiving heavy trolling over it. At the time of writing this report, her Instagram story on 'All Eyes on Rafah' remains unavailable.
A section of social media users appeared unhappy with the captain's wife for being "selective" in raising her voice against atrocities.
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“She is the wife of Rohit Sharma, Ritika Sajdeh. Never talks about Kashmiri Pandits. Never talks about Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh. But showing too much care about Palestine and Gaza," wrote one user.
Some also alleged that it was a "paid story" posted by Ritika, not being aware of the "fraudulent activities" pro-Palestinian people engage in.
Instagram's role amid war
In recent months, Instagram has become a pivotal platform for Palestinian journalists and supporters despite attempts by its owner, Meta, to restrict political content. This trend mirrors the broader surge in news dissemination on the platform.
While the "All Eyes on Rafah" image gained rapid traction, videos from Rafah shared by Palestinian journalists faced constraints, with some being removed from social media for depicting the graphic aftermath of Israeli airstrikes. Notably, two out of three Instagram posts featuring charred and severely injured individuals, including fatalities following the recent strike, were taken down, while one was obscured with a sensitive content filter warning of "graphic or violent content."
An Instagram spokesperson cited the violation of platform policies due to the violent and graphic nature of the content as grounds for removal.
Despite the "All Eyes on Rafah" image not accurately reflecting the on-ground violence, it aligns with other content that has garnered widespread attention and support from prominent figures on social media in the past eight months.
AI-generated activism
A social media consultant and industry analyst, Matt Navarra told NBC that "the trend of posting 'All Eyes on Rafah' has been building for a while."
Influencers, celebrities, and other highly followed individuals across various platforms, not limited to Instagram, have been sharing similar sentiments, amplifying the message's reach and visibility, he added.
Additionally, the image appears among the earliest instances of viral activist iconography generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor of Middle East studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar specialising in misinformation, said the image "definitely looks" AI-generated.
Among the signs suggesting that the image was generated by artificial intelligence include its lack of photorealism, the presence of peculiar shadows, and the unnaturally sprawling and symmetrical arrangement of the depicted tent camp. Such uniformity is often characteristic of pattern repetition inherent in AI-generated content.
Social media on Palestine vs Israel
Pro-Palestinian advocacy across social media platforms has experienced periodic surges following Israel's commencement of its assault on Gaza subsequent to the terrorist attacks of October 7. This assault resulted in the loss of over 1,100 civilian lives and the abduction of more than 200 individuals. Most recently, a notable campaign emerged, advocating the mass blocking of celebrities who have refrained from expressing vocal support for Palestinians, garnering attention.
On the other hand, instances of pro-Israel social media engagement have also seen peaks, particularly sparked by protests on university campuses in relation to the conflict. Noteworthy figures with a substantial online presence have publicly supported the cause of Israeli civilians, occasionally facing criticism in response.
Commencing Sunday, Israeli military forces initiated advancements towards Rafah through both ground and aerial operations, despite widespread international condemnation concerning resultant civilian casualties. Accounts from within the tent encampment report numerous fatalities, including young children, with some attributed to fires that swept through the camp.
Meta's policy debate
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has opened its moderation policy board to debates over whether popular pro-Palestinian rhetoric like "from the river to the sea" constitutes policy violations. Concurrently, it has announced efforts to limit the spread of political speech on its platforms. On Meta's Facebook, AI images have garnered hundreds of millions of engagements.
Navarra said the image highlights how activists can use AI to craft content that effectively communicates messages while adhering to platform regulations. By embedding text within images, they may evade detection by keyword-based moderation applied to image captions. AI-generated content also boasts a rapid creation process compared to traditional digital art methods.
"It's possibly circumventing some of the automated moderation on the platform, because it's an AI-generated image and there isn't anything in there that is massively dangerous or controversial," Navarra said about the "All Eyes on Rafah" image.
"It's interesting to see that this cut through," he added.
