As Israel's army prepares to take control of Gaza City, its residents are weighing their options. Many, like tailor Khalil Al-Fram, have followed previous Israeli evacuation orders and lost everything. This time, he says, he won't leave. Others, like Fatima Sweidan, point out that even if they were to flee, there isn't a safe place in Gaza to go.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has justified the new military offensive by claiming that Hamas militants are hiding in the area, holding the remaining Israeli hostages taken during the October 7 terror attacks. 

Many Palestinians DW spoke with expressed wariness of Hamas's governance of the Strip. Um Mohammed said she was fed up with the bloodshed, and Fatima Sweidan said she didn't care who governed, as long as they guaranteed safety and peace.