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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'All Eyes on Rafah': What happened?

'All Eyes on Rafah': What happened?

Published May 31, 2024 04:59 am

The slogan "All Eyes on Rafah" is trending on social media following the deadly blast that occurred in one of the remaining cities declared as safe zones in Gaza amid the prolonged Israel-Hamas war.

At least 45 people, mostly women and children, were reportedly killed in the incident that occurred early this week, leading to a widespread call online to monitor developments in the Palestinian territory.

So an AI-generated image depicting refugee camps in the Gazan city with a message “All Eyes on Rafah” was born. It's now been shared tens of million times online.

But what happened in Rafah?

Explosions reportedly occurred starting May 26 in Tal as-Sultan, a district in Rafah where makeshift tents were built to shelter Palestinian civilians affected by the months-long bombing by Israel.

Palestinian officials alleged that the incident was caused by Israel's dropping of seven 900-kg. bombs and missiles on the displacement camp.

But Israel said the attack that it launched was meant for two Hamas leaders, who were hiding in the area.

The Israeli Embassy in Manila said it used two munitions in the “precise strike” it launched and killed Hamas leaders Yasin Rabia and Khaled Nagar.

Israel also said it might be the weapons and ammunition stored in the area that caused the fire, resulting “in the loss of civilian life.”

Since then, millions of Instagram users, including those based in the Philippines, are sharing the "All Eyes on Rafah" image. Some Facebook users are also posting explainers behind the slogan, saying it is a reminder for Israel that people are closely watching the developments in the besieged territory, where some 36,000 civilian were already reportedly killed since Israel retaliated for the surprise attack Hamas militants made in October 2023.

The United States, a close ally of Israel, said Israel's recent attack had not crossed the line to prompt Washington to withdraw its support.

Yet, Israel's action still faced international condemnation, including from France, another ally. French President Emmanuel Macron said: "These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire."

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres reiterated its long-time message to stop the "horror" as there is "no safe place in Gaza."

"I condemn Israel’s actions which killed scores of innocent civilians who were only seeking shelter from this deadly conflict," Guterres said.

Related Tags

Gaza Israel-Hamas war All Eyes on Rafah
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