With Israelis still off balance over the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre and Gaza lying in ruins with its terrorist overlords clinging to Israeli hostages, it’s easy to despair about the Middle East. Yet beyond the headlines lie some reasons to be hopeful, amid significant movement behind the scenes.

Even though people are radicalized right now, the tragedy is so great that there is also an understanding that things cannot continue as they have been. We’d like to share a framework constructed in recent weeks by a group of experts, both from Israel and from the Palestinian side, with participation of Western parties, most but not all former officials, and some but not all veterans of past peace efforts. For now, to avoid harming a very delicate process, their identities must remain confidential.