Cricketer Rohit Sharma’s wife, Ritika Sajdeh, has deleted an Instagram story that read “Focus on Rafah” after she was reportedly trolled online. Social media users have been sharing the phrase to show solidarity with Palestine after Israeli artillery and airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Sunday killed more than 45 people.
Ritika Sajdeh’s post went viral on social media, especially on X, with many making fun of her. Some accused her of not speaking out about India’s issues, while others joked that she didn’t know where Rafa was. According to CNBC, the post has since been deleted.
Several A-list Bollywood celebrities have also voiced their support for the Palestinian people, including Kareena Kapoor, Aalia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Tripti Dimri, Samantha Prabhu, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Swara Bhasker and Dia Mirza.
Below are some posts from people showing their solidarity with Rafa:
Spotlight on Rapha: Timeline
Israel launched an offensive against Rafah hours after Hamas fired rockets at Tel Aviv neighborhoods. Airstrikes hit a tent camp for displaced people in the city, killing 45 people and wounding more than 200. The Israeli military said two Hamas operatives were killed in the attack in the southern Rafah neighborhood.
Many people, including Iranians, shared the phrase “All eyes on Rafah” to condemn the attack. The official account of the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, “X”, also posted, “‘All eyes on Rafah’ refers to the ongoing massacre in Rafah, Gaza Strip, where over 1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge.”
Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, is currently at war with Israel after crossing the border into Israel on October 7 last year, killing hundreds of people and taking several hostages.
