During the Super Bowl, several paid advertisements aired in support of Israel, including one that called for more support to bring home the over 100 Israeli hostages still held captive by Hamas in Gaza. (Related: While Americans were distracted by the Super Bowl, Israel conducted a MASS BOMBING of Rafah in southern Gaza.)
Moreover, the official account of Israel on X, managed by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Digital Diplomacy team, used the platform to "gaslight" football fans.
"Dear football fans, tonight, whether you’re rooting for the [Kansas City Chiefs] or [the San Francisco 49ers], remember that there are 136 Israelis being held hostage in Gaza who would give anything to be watching the game with their families," wrote the team on the account. "Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. #SuperBowl2024 #BringThemAllHomeNow."
But while fans worldwide were engrossed in the football match and while Israeli authorities celebrated the successful airing of its ads, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was busy attacking Rafah, where over a million people - residents and displaced Palestinians alike – were sheltering, leaving a devastating trail of destruction.
According to Palestinian sources, the attack claimed the lives of around 70 civilians. The city, which Israeli military officials had previously encouraged Palestinians to flee to for safety, has become the epicenter of an unfolding tragedy.
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The airstrikes, dubbed the "Super Bowl Massacre" and described as a "night full of horror" by the New York Times, began trending shortly during the annual sporting event under the hashtag #SuperBowlMassacre.
Several social media accounts, including the accounts of journalist and author Sulaiman Ahmed and the media outlet the Times of Gaza, posted disturbing footage of the aftermath of the Israeli strikes.
One harrowing video showed the dismembered body of a little girl hanging from the side of a bombed-out building. Another video captured Gazans collecting the body parts of their neighbors and loved ones. An even more graphic video from a local hospital depicted a man carrying the lifeless body of a girl less than a year old who was killed by the Rafah bombing.
Widespread outrage and disbelief immediately circulated online, along with the grim pictures and videos of the destruction in Rafah. Some even suggest that the IDF might have taken advantage of the global distraction caused by the Super Bowl to execute the attack.
"The attack on Rafah happening at 2 a.m. Gaza time while the U.S. is watching the Super Bowl is utterly horrific and devastating. Our hearts are with the Palestinian people now more than ever," wrote Australian Sen. David Shoebridge, one of thousands of X users who took their outrage to the platform.
"THEY BOMBED RAFAH DURING THE SUPER BOWL SO NO ONE WOULD NOTICE," exclaimed one other X user.
Another added: "Israel has chosen to begin bombing over a million Palestinians in Rafah during the Super Bowl. I doubt this is a coincidence."
The hashtag #SuperBowlMassacre quickly gained traction on social media platforms, with users expressing their shock, condemnation and frustration. Calls for global awareness and action flooded the internet as individuals grappled with the juxtaposition of a major sporting event and a tragic event thousands of miles away.
"#SuperBowlMassacre people in Rafah were killed, while you cheered, our people died," stated one user, criticizing what they called a "Zionist fest."
Catch updates on the escalating conflict in Gaza and Israel's role in the devastation at IsraelCollapse.com.
Watch the aftermath of Israel's bombing of a "safe zone" tent camp in Rafah during the Super Bowl.
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