Israel’s military dropped leaflets over Gaza City on Wednesday (September 17), ordering people to evacuate, a day after Israel announced the launch of a ground offensive to seize control of Gaza's main urban centre.

Children ran to collect the leaflets as they landed on the streets.

Holding one of the leaflets, sixty-three-year-old Abu Mohammed said he will not leave.

In Al Shifa hospital, Palestinians gathered to mourn loved ones killed in Israeli strikes, including Ismaeel Abu Aajwa, who said he lost his son.

Israel has regularly said it takes steps to avoid hitting civilians. Israel says it is seeking to eliminate militants from Hamas, which attacked southern Israel from Gaza in 2023, and free hostages still held by the group.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday it was opening an additional route for 48 hours that Palestinians could use to leave Gaza City as it stepped up efforts to empty the city of civilians and confront thousands of Hamas combatants.

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.

At least 30 people were killed across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday in Israel's latest strikes, including 19 in Gaza City, local health authorities said.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

GAZA CITY, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 17, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. PEOPLE IN STREET/ISRAELI MILITARY EVACUATION LEAFLETS BEING DROPPED

2. VARIOUS OF EVACUATION ORDER LEAFLETS BEING DROPPED

3. CHILDREN RUNNING AND GRABBING LEAFLETS

4. PERSON SHOWING EVACUATION ORDER LEAFLET

5. PALESTINIAN, ABU MOHAMMED, HOLDING EVACUATION ORDER LEAFLET

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN, ABU MOHAMMED, SAYING:

“Where should I go? I am not leaving, where should I go? There is nowhere to go. Where should I go? There is no place, we are staying. If we are going to die, we will die here. They opened Wadi Gaza. At the end, where will you reach, where will you go? There’s no place, no land, no water, nothing. We leave it to God.”

7. MEN HOLDING LEAFLETS

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN, ABU MOHAMMED, SAYING:

“Displacement is hard. Why don't we want to go? (Because) displacement is really hard. Death is better than displacement, death is better for us, we accepted the war, but not the displacement. We accepted the war, but not the displacement.”

9. CHILDREN IN STREET, HOLDING LEAFLETS

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MOHAMMED ABU AMR, SAYING:

“We don’t want to be displaced, displacement is hard, there is no money to leave (flee). People who want to leave need money, and I don’t have a source of income. I don’t have a source of income, where should I go? “

11. PALESTINIAN MEN CARRYING BODY

12. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN MEN SITTING NEXT TO COVERED BODIES OF PEOPLE KILLED IN ISRAELI STRIKES

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MAN WHO LOST HIS SON IN ISRAELI STRIKE, ISMAEEL ABU AAJWA, SAYING:

“Where is the safety? Where should we go? If we went south we are dead and if we stayed here we are dead, where should we go? Find us a solution. My oldest son, who has (cares for) seven or eight people, was martyred. What should I do?”

14. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN WOMEN GATHERED AROUND BODIES/WOMEN CRYING

15. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MAN WHO LOST HIS SON IN ISRAELI STRIKE, ISMAEEL ABU AAJWA, SAYING:

“What do I say to the world? Come and see us. Come see us, for the love of God, look at our situation, look at our lives. We don’t have a life, we don’t have a future, we don’t have a life, we don’t have anything to live (by).”

16. VARIOUS OF BODIES ON THE GROUND

17. MEN PLACING COVERED BODY ON THE GROUND

18. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CRYING OVER BODIES

19. PEOPLE HOLDING PRAYERS/BODIES ON THE GROUND

20. PEOPLE GATHERED AT HOSPITAL