Harris vows to end Gaza war in Michigan speech

Democratic presidential candidate calls scale of death and destruction in Gaza and Lebanon 'devastating'

Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally in Lansing, Michigan. Getty Images/AFP

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Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris vowed to end the Israel-Gaza war during a campaign speech in Michigan.

The Vice President is struggling to connect with Arab Americans, many of whom want to punish her for the Biden administration's unflinching support of Israel.

Ms Harris acknowledged that "this year has been difficult", given the scale of death and destruction in Gaza, as well as Lebanon. "It is devastating," she said.

"As president, I will do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza, to bring home the hostages, end the suffering in Gaza, ensure Israel is secure and ensure the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, freedom, security and self-determination," she told the crowd in East Lansing on Sunday night.

She added that she wants to work on a diplomatic resolution across the Israel-Lebanon border to protect civilians.

The war in Gaza, which has killed more than 43,000 people so far, according to local authorities, has spilled over into Lebanon, where Israel launched an invasion in late September with the aim of ending cross-border attacks by Hezbollah. About 2,000 civilians have been killed in Israeli strikes so far and more than a million have been displaced.

Failure to end the conflict has been a major thorn in the side of President Joe Biden's administration and has affected Ms Harris's campaign. Ms Harris has so far refused to call for an arms embargo on Israel and has toed the line when it comes to voicing support for the longtime US ally. She has, however, voiced support for a ceasefire and a two-state solution.

Michigan, a swing state with 15 electoral votes, is home to the country's largest Arab-American community. During the Democratic primaries, a movement that encouraged voters to mark "uncommitted" on their ballots in protest against the Biden administration's Gaza policy garnered more than 100,000 votes. The uncommitted movement announced in September it would not endorse a candidate after Ms Harris declined to meet them to discuss her plans to end the war.

After the snub from the influential movement, Ms Harris made sure to note that among those in attendance at her rally were "leaders from the Arab-American community, which has deep and proud roots here in Michigan". Meanwhile, Donald Trump, Ms Harris's Republican opponent, has been working hard to woo voters in Arab and Muslim-American communities, particularly in Michigan, where he visited Dearborn, which is considered the capital of Arab America.