Israel's Efforts to Remove Palestinians from Gaza Fuel Humanitarian Crisis

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, has accused Israel of attempting to clear Gaza of its Palestinian population through its military offensive and evacuation orders. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also accused Israel of trying to push Palestinians out of Gaza. An Israeli government spokesperson called these allegations "outrageous and false." Israel has said it is prepared to fight for months or longer to defeat Gaza's Hamas rulers, as its ground offense intensifies with more airstrikes and artillery fire. The Israeli army announced that 101 soldiers had been killed so far in the military offensive. International outrage has grown as the death toll in Gaza rises, with around two-thirds of the casualties being women and children.