Colin Sheridan: As Gaza's only lifeline stays closed, the corpses rot on the side of the road

Israel blames Egypt for closing the Rafah crossing after an Israeli airstrike in May that killed over 50 people in the middle of the night. Meanwhile, the ability and manpower to go into Gaza and establish an effective medical and humanitarian intervention is all there

Displaced Palestinians inspect their tents destroyed by Israel's bombardment close to an UNRWA facility west of Rafah city in May. Photo: AP/Jehad Alshrafi

Sat, 20 Jul, 2024 - 00:58

Colin Sheridan

Colin Sheridan is a writer and columnist. A former officer in the Irish Defence Forces he has extensive deployment experience as a peacekeeper with the United Nations, having lived and worked in the former Yugoslavia, West Africa, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Palestine.

After yet another deadly airstrike on Rafah in late May, an AI-generated image circulating on Instagram aimed to generate global solidarity for Palestinians in Gaza.

All Eyes on Rafah was the slogan, the image a rather sanitised version of a dystopian reality for those living and dying there. Shared on social media over 50 million times, its creation was prompted by an Israeli airstrike that killed over 50 people in the middle of the night.