A few dozen meters from Sa'ad Junction near the border with the Gaza Strip, soldiers were barring civilians from driving down the road leading to Kibbutz Nahal Oz. "Entry is forbidden; this is a closed military zone," the reservist on duty said. But that didn't stop the government from recently demanding that Nahal Oz residents return to the kibbutz, with their children.

Subscribe now for on-the-ground reporting and analysis

Already signed up? Log inOrRegister to get up to 6 articles per month

Already signed up? Log in

Or