EU High Representative Borrell said on social media, 'We urge Israel not to take military action in Rafah, where there is already a catastrophic humanitarian crisis' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said of the ground operation in the southern city of Rafah: 'Anyone who tries to stop our operations is the same as telling us to lose the war' If Israel launches a ground offensive, thousands more civilians will be killed, says a joint statement from international human rights groups and NGOs. The international community is strongly calling for an end to Israeli ground operations.