Avishay Edri dreams of returning to Nahal Oz, the kibbutz he fled two years ago after Hamas gunmen stormed southern Israel. Yet fear lingers. Despite a fragile ceasefire, Edri worries renewed fighting in Gaza could make the area unsafe again.
The 41-year-old father of four remembers joyful days farming and raising his children near the Gaza border. But he also remembers spending 17 hours locked in a shelter as attackers killed 15 neighbors and kidnapped eight others on October 7, 2023.
Since the US-brokered ceasefire, calm has returned, but unease persists. “It’s important to go back for emotional closure,” Edri told Reuters, “but it conflicts with logic about what will happen next.”
About half of Nahal Oz’s 400 residents have yet to return. Damage from rocket fire remains visible, and the sounds of distant shelling remind everyone how fragile peace is.
Before the war, residents often helped Gazans in need. Now, many feel that trust has vanished. “I was naive to think small acts could stop war,” Edri admitted.
The community, founded in 1948 by soldiers, now struggles between hope and heartbreak — rebuilding lives amid scars that peace talks have yet to heal.
