Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Sept 26, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of destroyed buildings, rubble, residents walking by
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mahmoud Al-Khudari, resident (partially overlaid with shot 3):
"Artillery bombardments, fighter jets, and drones hovered overhead every day. Many northern residents were forced to migrate south seeking safety on Israeli military orders. They claimed the south was safe, but we are hearing daily about bombings and deaths in the south. So my family and I decided to stay, even though the Israeli army was only a block or two away, less than 700 meters."
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3. Smoke arising from buildings
4. Mahmoud Al-Khudari walking by
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5. Various of Mohammed Al-Tahrawi baking bread amid ruins
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammed Al-Tahrawi, resident (partially overlaid with shots 7-8):
"The Israeli military used drones to broadcast messages ordering us to evacuate, even saying, 'I know you do not have money,' before dropping bombs. They have even opened fire and killed people in public. All we can do is keep fleeing. The pressure is overwhelming. However, if we were to move south, each person would need 5,000 New Shekels (around 1,500 U.S. dollars) just to rent a place to live. This is simply beyond our means."
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7. Various of Mohammed Al-Tahrawi with children
8. Residents
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9. Various of residents, children amid ruins
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mahmoud Bakr, resident (partially overlaid with shots 11-12):
"I have already moved more than 10 times and now I am simply unable to go any further. The Israeli military is only 700 meters away from us. There are so many people here that we cannot move. We have nowhere to stay and no money. We are frequently subjected to shelling. I myself crawled out from under the rubble. To this day, I still cannot believe that I am alive."
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11. Various of Mahmoud Bakr with others amid ruins
12. Children
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13. Destroyed buildings, ruins

Gaza Strip - Sept 25, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
14. Various of destroyed buildings, rubble

Since the Israeli military announced its plan to take over Gaza City, residents have faced repeated evacuation orders under the pretext of "restoring security." Yet many families, unwilling or unable to move south amid escalating costs and insecurity, have chosen to remain in the north, where their survival space is being steadily eroded.

In recent months, the Israeli army has distributed leaflets, used loudspeakers and deployed drones to urge Gaza City residents to move southward into so-called "safe zones."

But a considerable number of people have refused to heed such threats, choosing instead to stay in their hometowns despite the devastation and danger.

Mahmoud Al-Khudari, a native of the Shujaiya neighborhood, is among them. His home was destroyed in the bombardments, but despite the absence of a fixed shelter, he and his family chose to stay in Gaza City.

"Artillery bombardments, fighter jets, and drones hovered overhead every day. Many northern residents were forced to migrate south seeking safety on Israeli military orders. They claimed the south was safe, but we are hearing daily about bombings and deaths in the south. So my family and I decided to stay, even though the Israeli army was only a block or two away, less than 700 meters," he said.

In the Sabra neighborhood, Mohammed Al-Tahrawi now supports his family by selling bread. He explained that financial hardship has made the option of fleeing south impossible for many like him.

"The Israeli military used drones to broadcast messages ordering us to evacuate, even saying, 'I know you do not have money,' before dropping bombs. They have even opened fire and killed people in public. All we can do is keep fleeing. The pressure is overwhelming. However, if we were to move south, each person would need 5,000 New Shekels (around 1,500 U.S. dollars) just to rent a place to live. This is simply beyond our means," he noted.

Amid relentless shelling, numerous families have been forced to move from one makeshift shelter to another. Many now live with children in tattered tents, often just a few hundred meters away from Israeli positions.

"I have already moved more than 10 times and now I am simply unable to go any further. The Israeli military is only 700 meters away from us. There are so many people here that we cannot move. We have nowhere to stay and no money. We are frequently subjected to shelling. I myself crawled out from under the rubble. To this day, I still cannot believe that I am alive," said another Gazan Mahmoud Bakr.