Ritika Sajdeh, wife of Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, has faced criticism from social media users after expressing solidarity with Palestinians affected by Israeli missile strikes on Rafah, Gaza Strip. In her post, Ritika wrote, "All eyes on Rafah." Critics on social media accused her of diverting attention from issues faced by Indians, particularly in neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Ritika, along with Bollywood actors Varun Dhawan and Triptii Dimrii, drew attention to the attack in Rafah through similar posts on their social media accounts. However, their expression of support was met with backlash from followers.
According to reports from the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, Israeli forces launched approximately eight rockets towards tents in a recently established camp densely populated with displaced individuals near the warehouses of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The strike resulted in the deaths of at least 45 people and left hundreds injured, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack as a "tragic mishap." The strike targeted the area of Tal as Sultan in northwest Rafah, reportedly based on precise intelligence.