While Ads Made By The Israeli Government Aired During The Super Bowl, Palestine Was Attacked

Early Monday morning in Palestine, over 70 Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks in Rafah.

Footage of the rubble in Palestine
Ahmad Hasaballah / Getty Images

More than half of Palestine’s population, 1.5 million people, live in Rafah — the overwhelming majority of them displaced by the violence elsewhere in Palestine into the overcrowded city. Israel had previously designated the city of Rafah as a “safe space,” meaning that Palestinians now have nowhere to go to escape the conflict.

Footage of the rubble in Palestine

The attacks occurred at the same time as the Super Bowl in the US, and as images from Rafah hit people’s timelines, the hashtag #SuperBowlMassacre started trending online.

Palestinians amid the rubble

Facts about the ongoing conflict are extremely hard to verify, but here's an approximate timeline of what transpired:

2:30 p.m. EST/9:30 p.m. Israel

President Biden with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

6:30 p.m. EST/1:30 a.m. Israel

Screenshot of the Super Bowl"

The Super Bowl begins.

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

6:49 p.m. EST/1:49 a.m. Israel:

Footage of the rubble in Palestine

6:50 p.m. EST/1:50 a.m. Israel

Footage of the rubble in Palestine

Approximately between 6–8 p.m. EST/1–3 a.m. Israel

"#BringAllDadsBackHome"

7 p.m. EST/2 a.m. Israel

Footage of the rubble in Palestine

Between 6–8 p.m. EST/1–3 a.m. Israel

Footage of the rubble in Palestine

Around 9:40 p.m. EST/4:40 a.m. Israel

Footage of the rubble in Palestine

10:50 p.m. EST/5:50 a.m. Israel

Twitter: @_lesbiannie_

Biden tweets a picture seemingly poking fun at conspiracies suggesting the Super Bowl win was rigged. However, given the timing with the attacks and violent imagery now circulating, some criticized the post — captioned “Just like we drew it up” — as insensitive.

Twitter: @SocialistMMA

Monday: #SuperBowlMassacre trends on X.

Twitter: @KindaHagi

People criticize the attacks, especially given the timing.

Monday p.m.

People protesting for a ceasefire
People protesting for a ceasefire
A sign saying
A sign saying

Guy Smallman / Getty Images, Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images

In London, New York, and elsewhere, protests are held.

Tuesday a.m.

Netanyahu and Biden

Some have placed the death toll in Rafah to over 100.

We will update this with further information.