What does 'All Eyes on Rafah' mean as powerful image goes viral on social media
An AI-generated image reading 'All Eyes on Rafah' has been circulating prominently on social media platforms.
The powerful 'All Eyes on Rafah' social media post calling for attention to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza has amassed over 34 million shares on Instagram within just 24 hours.
This is bringing back a renewed wave of online advocacy by supporters of the Palestinian cause following a deadly Israeli airstrike.
The image in the post depicts tents in a camp arranged to spell out 'All Eyes on Rafah,' referencing an area in southern Gaza populated by refugee camps.
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 mistake" in his remarks to the country's Parliament in Hebrew, with his office later clarifying in English, translating the phrase as a "tragic incident."
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Rafah has historically been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Its border crossing - the Rafah Border Crossing - is one of the few gateways to the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel, making it a crucial access point for humanitarian aid and goods.
The city has seen numerous conflicts and blockades, significantly affecting the lives of its residents.
The viral image represents one of the earliest instances of activist iconography generated by artificial intelligence.
Matt Navarra, a social media consultant and industry analyst, told NBC "the trend of posting 'All Eyes on Rafah' has been building for a while."
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Influencers, celebrities, and other prominent figures across various platforms, not limited to Instagram, have been sharing similar sentiments, significantly amplifying the message's reach and visibility.
Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor of Middle East studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, specialising in misinformation, noted that the image "definitely looks" AI-generated.
Things suggesting AI-generation include the lack of photorealism, peculiar shadows, and the unnaturally symmetrical arrangement of the tent camp.
Such uniformity is characteristic of pattern repetition often seen in AI-generated content.
