FREEPORT, Maine — On Oct. 7, 2023, Martin Fletcher's phone started lighting up.
Hamas and other militant groups had just launched a surprise attack on Israel, where Fletcher had served as correspondent and Tel Aviv bureau chief for NBC News for 28 years.
In decades of reporting, he had covered the region in all its tumult and violence and occasional steps toward peace. But this story was different.
"The news we got pretty quickly was that our family was involved," he recalled. "Three members of my wife's family were murdered on that day and eight were kidnapped."
Fletcher, who retired from NBC News a few years ago, now lives in Mexico. The network immediately turned to him, asking if he’d provide perspective and analysis as Israel retaliated by invading Gaza with the aim of destroying Hamas.
Eleven months later, Fletcher doesn't see the war ending anytime soon. "The key problem is that you have people on the Israeli side and on the Palestinian side who want to end it immediately. And they both have leaderships that apparently don't."
The human toll has been immense. More than 1,200 Israelis were murdered on Oct. 7. Since then, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed. While not trying for a moment to minimize the magnitude of the suffering, Fletcher believes that in time, there may be a real opportunity for peace.
"At the end of this process—and it could take two or three years—I think that both sides will realize that they need different leaders, that it's a reality check for both sides, and that they can't just continue like this every few years," he said.
"So hopefully they will elect new leaders who will be more reasonable and will come to some kind of agreement, under American pressure especially. So that's my optimistic take on it. And I think that’s probably realistic."
For Fletcher’s family, there has been some good news. Seven of their eight relatives who were kidnapped have been released. One is still being held.
Fletcher was in Maine on his second visit to the state in as many years. On both occasions, he spoke at events sponsored by the nonprofit organization Freeport Speech.
This year's event, a panel discussion, drew some 500 people. For more information about Freeport Speech, visit here.