Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel will go ahead with the military campaign against Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip amid increasing international pressure.

Calls have increased demanding that Israel not enter Rafah, which is one of the last relatively safe areas, where about 1.5 million people are seeking refuge.

Netanyahu added in a video speech to a conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Washington, “We will finish the mission in Rafah while enabling the civilian population to move out of harm’s way.”

Netanyahu's statements came as European Union leaders intend to urge Israel not to launch a ground operation in Rafah, according to draft results of an upcoming summit.

The draft, seen by Reuters, stated: “The European Union urges the Israeli government to refrain from carrying out a ground operation in Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are currently searching for safety, fleeing the fighting and seeking humanitarian aid.”

The text requires approval by all 27 EU leaders to be adopted at the summit on March 21-22.

US President Joe Biden said on Saturday that Netanyahu is “harming Israel more than helping it” by conducting the war in a way that conflicts with the country’s values