A picture made by AI with the words ‘All eyes on Rafah’ has been shared over 40 million times. This happened while Israel was attacking Gaza’s Rafah.
On Instagram, lots of people are sharing a picture that says “All eyes on Rafah.” It’s getting a lot of attention and it’s talking about what’s happening in Gaza because of Israel’s war.
Since Monday, a picture has been shared over 40 million times on Instagram stories. This happened after Israel launched a serious attack on Rafah in Gaza.
What does ‘All eyes on Rafah’ mean?
- “Look at Rafah” is a picture made by a computer that says we should pay attention to what’s happening in Rafah. Rafah is a city in the Gaza Strip near Egypt.
- Israel started a war with Gaza. They bombed Gaza from the north and kept moving south. This made Palestinians leave their homes and run south to find safety.
- My knowledge cut-off date is January 2022. As of that time, Hamas was designated as a terrorist organization by some countries and organizations, including the United States, the European Union, Israel, and others.
- People around the world were upset by the announcement. In February, Richard Peeperkorn, who represents the World Health Organization in Gaza and the West Bank, said everyone is watching closely what’s going to happen in Rafah. Ameera Kawash, an artist and researcher from the UK who is of Palestinian and Iraqi descent, explained to Al Jazeera that the phrase “All eyes on Rafah” probably came from his statement.
- Since then, people have put the slogan on protest signs and shared it on social media.
What’s happening in Rafah?
On Sunday, Israel bombed a place called al-Mawasi in western Rafah, even though two days earlier, the International Court of Justice told them to stop attacking Rafah. At least 45 people died in the bombing. Al-Mawasi was supposed to be a safe area, but it wasn’t safe anymore.
On Tuesday, there was another Israeli attack in a displacement camp near Rafah. It killed 21 people, including 12 women. The next morning, there were more air attacks reported.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, Israel has caused the death of at least 36,171 people in Gaza since October 7th.
Can you describe the “All eyes on Rafah” image?
- The picture shows a camp with tents lined up neatly like soldiers, surrounded by snowy mountains. In the center, there are lighter tents forming the words “All eyes on Rafah.” The sky above is a bright blue with fluffy clouds.
- Rafah doesn’t look like that at all. Instead of clear skies, it’s filled with grey smoke from bombs dropped by Israel. The tents aren’t neatly arranged; many are destroyed, some still burning with people inside. There’s debris everywhere, scattered between the damaged tents.
- Rafah is really crowded with about 1.4 million people who ran there for safety when Israel dropped bombs in February, says the United Nations.
- Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency said that the picture was made with the help of a computer program called artificial intelligence (AI).
- You can spot AI-made images by looking for certain clues. These include repeated patterns, perfectly aligned objects, less detailed elements, and no shadows. Check out more tips on recognizing AI-generated images here.
Who shared the AI-generated image titled “All Eyes on Rafah”?
The image is being shared on Instagram stories by users worldwide.
- Bella Hadid is a famous model from America. Her dad is from Palestine.
- Nicola Coughlan is an actress from Ireland who stars in the Netflix series called Bridgerton.
- Sure! Hasan Minhaj is a funny person who tells jokes and writes things. Aaron Paul is someone who pretends to be different people on TV and in movies.
- Sure! Jameela Jamil is a British actor and activist, and Dua Lipa is a British singer.
- Some famous Indian actors are Varun Dhawan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Alia Bhatt, and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
The first Instagram story with the image was posted on Monday by @shahv4012. Al Jazeera couldn’t confirm if this user made the image. But the user said sorry if many people didn’t like the picture and asked everyone to keep spreading the word to stop what’s happening in Rafah.
The picture has been shared again, not just on Instagram, but also on X.
Also Read: Israel’s Rafah Strike And Ground Assault
Why is ‘All eyes on Rafah’ so viral?
The picture is getting more notice than lots of other photos from Rafah or Gaza.
This might happen because the picture is being shared through Instagram’s “Add Yours” feature. This feature makes it super quick for users to repost images without needing to search for them.
Because the picture was made by AI, it avoided getting censored based on certain words, which helped it spread quickly. According to Kawash, the AI-made image seems to have bypassed detection systems that search for specific words or phrases.
Celebrities and influencers find it easy to talk about a war that they haven’t discussed before, she explained.
Some experts think there’s another reason why the AI image became popular. They say it’s because it’s easier for people to see than real photos of Gaza. Those real photos often show upsetting things like blood, dead bodies, and violence.
Eddy Borges-Rey, a professor at Northwestern University in Qatar, believes that the AI image got so much attention because it’s so different from the usual pictures we see of the war. Usually, people share pictures of the terrible things happening in Gaza and Rafah to show that the victims are real people.
“This is why Facebook and Instagram’s algorithms didn’t catch this image. Normally, violent pictures from the war get flagged or removed because they break the rules. But since this image was made by AI and not real, it wasn’t restricted. That’s why it spread so quickly.”
What have people’s reactions been to ‘All Eyes on Rafah’?
Lots of people on social media liked the picture and shared it a lot, but many others got really mad when they saw it.
Some people think that sharing the post is just pretending to care about an issue without actually doing anything. They believe it takes attention away from genuine pictures and important updates about Rafah.
Kawash said that the picture doesn’t match what Palestinians have been through. It shows a computer-made scene with tents forming words in a big area, with snowy mountains far away. This doesn’t look like Gaza at all.
“This computer-generated image is generating significant discussion, as Palestinians have long sought to have their stories heard and their lives understood. Israel has been spreading its own version of events through carefully planned propaganda campaigns. This picture, made by artificial intelligence, can feel like it’s erasing the real experiences of Palestinians, especially when there are many Palestinian journalists in Gaza bravely showing what life is really like there.”
What’s next after ‘All eyes on Rafah’?
Kawash said it’s a big question, especially with Israel attacking Rafah more. On one side, she said, the AI image spreading everywhere helps show the world what’s happening in southern Gaza.
“The message isn’t strong enough, as many Palestinians and supporters have pointed out, saying, ‘Okay, we’re watching Rafah – but what’s next?’ It should say we need an immediate stop to the fighting, but since that hasn’t happened yet, it should also demand that governments punish Israel right away.”
In simpler terms, she explained that the quick spread of the image shows how AI can assist in sharing the Palestinian perspective, even when faced with censorship attempts. However, it also shows that AI has its own limits.
Kawash suggests that people should think about how AI-created pictures make violent situations against Palestinians look more normal and less scary.
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