Has hope survived the war? We asked Israelis and Palestinians we spoke to in 2023
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In November 2023, shortly after, shortly after Hamas attacked Israel and Israel launched a full-out war in Gaza, NPR published a story that asked a handful of Jewish Israelis and Palestinians to share their innermost thoughts. In the midst of a war that had just begun, these individuals spoke of how they were wrestling with how to maintain empathy and compassion for the other side.
Hamas-led militants launched an attack on communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 more, according to Israeli authorities. The resulting war in Gaza led to the deaths of more than 70,000 Palestinians inside the enclave, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
On Oct. 10, 2025, a ceasefire went into effect between Israel and Hamas, mediated by the U.S., Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. Both sides have since accused the other of violating the terms of that ceasefire — and flareups of violence have continued.
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After all that has happened over these last two years, NPR reconnected with a few of the subjects from the original story to gauge their outlook today.
The possibility of peace
When asked, Oded Adomi Leshem, a political psychologist who directs the International Hub for Hope Research at Hebrew University, says he believes peace between Pa
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