STORY: Palestinians fled Gaza City on Thursday (September 18), after Israeli forces ordered residents of the city to evacuate to the south. Many made the journey on foot, some carrying what they could, while others pulled carts stacked with belongings.

Israel says the offensive to take control of Gaza City is part of a plan to defeat Palestinian militant group Hamas for good and that it has warned civilians to head south to a designated humanitarian zone.

Hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering in the city and many are reluctant to follow Israel's orders to move south because of the dangers along the way, dire conditions, a lack of food in the southern area, and fear of permanent displacement.

Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, Israeli tallies show. Israel's military assault has killed over 65,000 Palestinians, Gaza's health ministry says.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Palestinians in Gaza City seek alternatives to displacement amid Israeli operation

VIDEO SHOWS: VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS FLEEING GAZA CITY / PALESTINIANS IN TENTS IN GAZA CITY / COMMENTS FROM PALESTINIANS

RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT.

SHOWS: GAZA CITY, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 18, 2025) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS – Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS MAKING THEIR WAY, WITH THEIR BELONGINGS

2. A VIEW OF TENTS IN GAZA CITY

3. PALESTINIANS GATHERING NEXT TO TENTS AND PILES OF BELONGINGS

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN FROM JABALIA, BASSAM AL-QANOU, SAYING:

"I'm not getting out of here. God is one, and death is one. Life is one, it's like a thousand deaths. And we're not leaving; we're not getting out. Where do we go? I wish I could leave to save my children. Wherever the Jews (referring to the Israelis) say, go to the south. I wish I could leave, but I don't have money to leave. I don't have the ability to leave; these are two years."

5. VARIOUS OF QANOU SITTING OUTSIDE A MAKESHIFT TENT NEXT TO FAMILY MEMBERS

6. PALESTINIANS GATHERING NEXT TO TENTS AND PILES OF BELONGINGS

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN FROM JABALIA, BASSAM AL- QANOU, SAYING:

"Our children don't sleep at night because of the shelling and the bombardment, and we are at the beach. Boats are shelling, planes are striking, and tanks are shelling. We are scared, but what can we do? To God we belong and to Him we shall return. It is not possible, I told you it is not possible for me to leave. I live (here) with my brothers, my brothers’ children, more than 30 people. We are scared and feel scared, and our children can't even sleep out of fear."

8. TENTS SET UP ON THE BEACH

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN FROM JABALIA, BASSAM AL- QANOU, SAYING:

"We appeal to the entire world, the European countries, foremost among them America, to stand with us, and to the Arab countries, our sisterly Egypt, and we say to our sisterly Egypt, stop this aggression against us. We have been displaced more than once and we are tired. Our homes are gone, our children are gone. We have martyrs, we have wounded. I, myself, am wounded. We've all taken a beating, the people of Gaza have taken a beating."

10. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS MAKING THEIR WAY

11. PALESTINIAN MOTHER OF FIVE, UMM (MOTHER OF) OUDAI CARRYING HER CHILD

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MOTHER OF FIVE, UMM (MOTHER OF) OUDAI, SAYING:

"We don't want war. Stop the war. This war is of no use to us. I don't know how they waged a war again. We haven't even rested from the first one for them to launch the second one. We are tired. My daughter here has a heart condition and has (a head injury). I don't know what to do, and I'm walking from here to Deir (al-Balah) because I don't have money."

13. UMM OUDAI CARRYING HER CHILD

14. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS FLEEING BY FOOT, CARRYING THEIR BELONGINGS