Harris pushes for Gaza ceasefire as U.S. election nears

U.S Vice President Kamala Harris has once again called for a ceasefire in Gaza pointing to the death of a Hamas leader as a chance to end the war. Speaking to reporters on 10/19/24‚ she stressed the need to grab this opening and work towards bringing hostages home

Harris acknowledged the regions long-standing difficulties but emphasized the importance of not giving up. She noted: its always going to be difficult; we cant give up. The Vice President also spoke about the tragic stories coming from Gaza‚ recognizing the extraordinary number of innocent Palestinians killed while also referencing the initial Hamas attack

When asked about the potential impact on her election chances in Michigan (a key battleground state) Harris sidestepped the question. Instead‚ she focused on her commitment to speaking out about the loss of innocent lives. The Vice President emphasized the need to acknowledge the tragedy in Gaza and take it seriously

With the election just over two weeks away Harris and Trump are neck-and-neck in competitive states. The Vice President needs strong support from Arab American and Muslim populations in cities like Detroit and Atlanta to secure victories in Michigan and Georgia. In 2020‚ Biden won Michigan by 155‚000 votes‚ a significant increase from Trumps narrow 11‚000-vote victory in 2016

Recently‚ Harris received endorsements from 50 prominent Lebanese-Americans. They praised the Biden administrations unrelenting support for Lebanon and expressed expectations of continued backing if Harris wins in November. This endorsement comes amidst ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon‚ which have resulted in thousands of casualties and displaced over a million people

The conflict has taken a heavy toll: in Gaza‚ Palestinian officials report over 42‚500 deaths due to Israels military response‚ while Israeli tallies indicate around 1‚200 casualties from the October 7 attack‚ with 253 taken hostage