where does the “All Eyes On Rafah” image that went viral after the deadly Israeli strike on a displaced persons camp come from?

The photo, posted on Instagram by a photographer in Malaysia, has been shared more than 40 million times on the social network.

Thousands of tents lined up as far as the eye can see, in front of mountains. And in the middle, this slogan: “All Eyes On Rafah” (“All eyes are on Rafah”). This image, posted on the social network Instagram, was shared more than 40 million times on Wednesday May 29. In France, several personalities, such as the YouTuber Lena Situations, the actress Judith Godrèche, the writer Nicolas Mathieu and the footballer Ousmane Dembélé, relayed it, three days later an Israeli bombing which sparked a global wave of indignation.

This strike took place on Sunday on a camp for displaced people in Rafah, while the International Court of Justice had ordered Tel Aviv to suspend its military operations in this city bordering Egypt, where nearly a million people took refuge. The heavy toll (45 dead and nearly 250 injured, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health, which Franceinfo is unable to verify) but also the violence of the images have gone around the world.

The illustration “All Eyes On Rafah” emanates from an account belonging to @shahv4012, an Instagram user presenting himself on his site as a photographer living in Selangor, Malaysia. In his story (images shared ephemerally with his subscribers), the Internet user posts other visual creations which denounce the war in the Gaza Strip, certain clichés openly denying the existence of the Hebrew State, like of a map crossing out the name of Israel with a red cross, replacing it with that of Palestine.

He also wrote a message about this image that went viral: “Some people are not happy with the image, I apologize to you if I made a mistake. Anyway, don’t take your eyes off the situation in Rafah, spread it [l’image] so that they may be shaken and afraid.” Contacted by franceinfo, the person concerned did not respond to our requests regarding this image, probably created using artificial intelligence.

The formula “All Eyes On Rafah” was launched by Doctor Rik Peeperkorn, director of the World Health Organization (WHO) office for the occupied Palestinian territories, during a WHO press briefing from Rafah in February. “All eyes are on Rafah”he declared, according to comments reported by the investigative site Health Policy Watch, while the Israeli offensive had not yet been launched in this town in the south of the Gaza Strip.