Why is ‘All eyes on Rafah’ so viral on social networks?

According to AFP News Agency, an AI-generated image with the words “All eyes on Rafah” has been shared by more than 46 million Instagram accounts since May 27. This photo received such a “huge” number of shares in less than 48 hours. The photo shows dense rows of tents stretching endlessly across the desert, with mountains in the background, hinting at the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled here when Israel launched its military campaign in Rafah.

Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal, top models Bella and Gigi Hadid, French soccer star Ousmane Dembele… are among the celebrities who have shared this image on the social network Instagram .

While the “All eyes on Rafah” image spread quickly on Instagram, videos of Rafah posted by Palestinian journalists were restricted, and some products were removed from social networks for containing violent images. about the Israeli attack.

The image “All eyes on Rafah” was also widely shared on other social networks, especially Twitter. On X, the hashtag #alleyesonrafah has attracted nearly 2 million visits.

 

 

Are the images real?

This image may be one of the first artificial intelligence viral activity images ever created. According to Marc Owen Jones, who studies misinformation, the image “looks” similar to being generated by AI. Unrealistic looks, strange shadows, and naturally manicured wild places are some of the signs that it’s an AI-generated image, NBC reported.

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. He made the comment in February, shortly after Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an evacuation plan for Rafah ahead of attacks aimed at what the Israeli Prime Minister then claimed were the last remaining strongholds of the militant group Hamas.

What’s happening in Rafah?

A devastating fire erupted at a displaced civilians camp in Rafah, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 45 lives and leaving over 200 individuals injured. The majority of the victims were women and children.

As confirmed by the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip. Distressing images captured the camp engulfed in flames, with terrified individuals desperately seeking refuge amidst the chaos of the night. Rescue workers bravely retrieved charred bodies, including those of innocent children, from the debris.

The international community, particularly countries in the Middle East, expressed strong condemnation towards Israel’s airstrike on the refugee camp in Rafah. Arab nations, through the Anadolu news agency, labeled the incident as “tragic” and urged the United Nations Security Council to intervene, calling for an end to Israel’s military campaign in Rafah and the Gaza Strip.

How have people reacted to ‘All eyes on Rafah’?

While several social media users have celebrated the virality of the image, many others have been angered by it.

Those critical of the post deem re-sharing it as performative activism that distracts from real images and important updates from Rafah.

“The image undermines Palestinian testimony and lived experience. It portrays an AI-generated scene with digital tents arranged into readable text across a vast expanse with snow-covered mountains in the background — a far cry from Gaza,” said Kawash.

With Capitoneshirt, we encourage people to use AI-generated images selectively so as not to be influenced by false information, especially important political information. At the same time, do not comment or share unverified information that affects the general community around the world

We are keenly following this story by creating T-shirts emblazoned with the AI ​​text ‘All eyes are on Rafah‘ to raise awareness and the ability to receive accurate information in the community fellow interested people.

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