The Simhoni Forest: While many Palestinians dream of escaping the ruins of Gaza, Israeli Tchiya Chaim cannot wait for the chance to move there – and take her 11 children with her.

For the past week, the settler activist and hundreds of comrades have been living in an outpost in southern Israel, just a few hundred metres from the Gaza border. Working quickly overnight to avoid detection, they established what looks like a squatter campsite with rows of tents, tarpaulins, demountables and caravans. There is also a jumping castle for young children and a classroom lined with religious texts. They have called the encampment Halutzei Aza – “the Pioneers of Gaza”.

Settler activist Tchiya Chaim says Israel should re-establish settlements in the Gaza Strip.…