Vice President Kamala Harris began a Sunday night campaign event in Detroit, Michigan by acknowledging that war in Gaza d weighs heavily on Michigan voters.
Harris also acknowledged the four Israeli hostages rescued alive during an operation on Saturday in which both Israeli and Palestinian fighters were killed, saying they were thankfully reunited with their families.
"And we mourn all the innocent lives that have been lost in Gaza, including those tragically killed today," she said right before a member of the crowd yelled out and interrupted her.
It isn’t clear what exactly the disrupter said, though the audience member interrupted the Vice President several times.
"I'm speaking right now," Harris said. "And I value and respect your voice, but I'm speaking right now."
Harris received applause when she said she and President Joe Biden were working to bring an end to the conflict in a way that brings home all hostages, ends the suffering of the Palestinian people, and ensures that Palestinians can enjoy their right to "self-determination, dignity and freedom."
Biden's ceasefire proposal gains support
"Last week, because of the leadership of President Biden working closely with Qatar and Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries, Israel offered a proposal for a ceasefire that can bring an end to this conflict," Harris said. "We have rallied the world to support this deal, which has by now been endorsed by 16 other nations that have citizens held in Gaza and all of the seven G7 countries."
Harris explained the phases of the deal, receiving applause when describing how the Israeli military would withdraw from population centers in Gaza during phase one and withdraw entirely from Gaza in phase two.
"The deal is now in the hands of Hamas, and Hamas needs to accept the deal," Harris said. "As President Biden said last week, it is time for this war to end and it is time for the day after to begin."
Michigan is a critical swing state in the 2024 presidential election that could determine who will live in the White House. Wayne County, home to Detroit, has the highest percentage of Middle Eastern and North African population in the country.
In Michigan's February primary election, pro-Palestinian leaders ran a protest movement against Biden's support of Israel by coalescing progressives to vote "uncommitted" at the ballot box. According to the AP, more than 23,554 Michiganders, or 15% of voters, voted "uncommitted."
In 2020, Biden won Michigan by just 2.8 percentage points.