After over 1,000 days of the deadly Gaza War, this is the big question that confronts all who are concerned about the future of both the Palestinians and the Israelis. Although a ceasefire was declared in October 2025 and all the hostages, living and dead, were returned in exchange for some 2,000 of the approximately 10,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the fighting has continued, and close to 1,300 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire. Radical settlers and the “Hilltop Youth” settlers militia, frequently backed and at times in conjunction with IDF soldiers, especially the Netzah Yehuda unit, have carried out pogroms against Palestinians in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Bezalel Smotrich, minister in the Ministry of Defense, continues to promote his 2017 annexationist “Decisive Plan” through further settlement expansion. A second Israel-U.S. attack on Iran also took place, and there is continued fighting between Israel and Hezbollah on the Lebanese front.
The 20-point Trump plan was issued on September 29, 2025. Point 19 includes a reference to the possibility of establishing “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people,” but progress toward realizing the terms of the plan has been very slow.
The PIJ Editorial Board members, Israelis and Palestinians, recommended that given the current crisis in Israel-Palestine relations, this issue should be devoted to seeking ways forward: What should be done now to get out of the current political impasse and disastrous situation? The aim is to provide important analyses and proposals that can be used by civil society organizations, diplomats, and political figures in Israel, Palestine, and the international community to move things forward.
One of the central themes that emerged from the Editorial Board meeting was the problem of dehumanization of the other resulting from the outrage and trauma gripping both Israeli and Palestinian societies in the post-October 7th period.
Shortly after the publication of this PIJ issue, two critical elections will be held: one for the Israeli Knesset on October 27th and one for the Palestinian Legislative Council on November 27th. Hopefully the results will produce new leaderships that will be ready to engage in peacebuilding and change the direction of events.
The contents of this issue are the embodiment of the importance of our work, as we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder to find answers to the challenges we face in our pursuit of peace, security, and freedom for both the Palestinian and Israel peoples.