Gazans were filmed by Channel 12 cameras expressing dismay towards Hamas leadership and their fears of the upcoming IDF takeover of Gaza City, with many conveying their desire for a better future, including by leaving the enclave.
Expressing their desperation, one Gazan was recorded by Channel 12 as saying, "For 40 years I've heard that Israel has nuclear weapons, so let them fire a nuclear missile at us and end it. Enough, we are completely desperate."
"Of course, the army really intends to conquer Gaza, from our past experience, everything the army promised, it carried out," another Gazan stated.
One man named Mahmoud said that there is no future for his family and children, saying, "I must emigrate; if they open the crossings, I will be the first to go."
Mahmoud told Channel 12 that he had abandoned his destroyed home and pitched a tent multiple times over the past two years. He shared his dismay at both Hamas and Israel, saying, "During these two years, no one really cared for us, neither those who ruled the Strip (Hamas) nor those outside of it, two years of hunger, pain, humiliation, poverty."
Another resident added, "Emigration is a sensitive issue, but life is more valuable. Let us emigrate and find peace."
Several Gazans spoke about the constant displacement, having "evacuated more than ten times from place to place."
However, some shared with Channel 12 that they wouldn't obey IDF evacuation warnings and not leave Gaza City ahead of the impending operation. "We will stay in our homes and we are prepared to pay any price."
"Either we live with dignity or we die with dignity; we can no longer bear this."
'We have nowhere to go in Gaza'
A woman interviewed by Channel 12 stated, "Even if we are required to evacuate, we have nowhere to go in Gaza. Rafah, for example, is also destroyed and unlivable."
"Israel claims there are safe areas in Gaza. I say there is no safe place in Gaza; no matter where you go, you are going to your death."
One Gazan recorded by Channel 12 stated that he had interacted with an IDF officer, who asked him, "Why didn't you run away?" The Gazan responded in Hebrew that he didn't evacuate because tanks blocked the roads, and that he was afraid. The IDF officer responded, "You are right."
Residents were recorded blaming Hamas for the situation, with one Gazan stating, "The one who can stop this war is the one who started it. Whoever brought this war upon us bears the responsibility to end it."
"When you decide to invade Israel, you must provide security and a future for your people, not abandon them to death like this. The people are completely shattered."