Netanyahu: We Will Proceed with Military Campaign in Rafah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated today, Tuesday, that "Israel will proceed with the military campaign in Rafah, in southern Gaza, amid increasing international pressures." Calls have risen for Israel to refrain from entering Rafah, which is one of the last relatively safe areas where about 1.5 million people have sought refuge. Netanyahu added in a video address to a conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Washington, "We will finish the mission in Rafah while allowing civilians to move away from harm's way." Netanyahu's remarks come as European Union leaders plan to urge Israel not to launch a ground operation in Rafah, according to a draft of upcoming summit outcomes. The draft, seen by Reuters, stated, "The European Union urges the Israeli government to refrain from conducting a ground operation in Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are currently seeking safety from the fighting and trying to obtain humanitarian aid."