Kamala Harris tells pro-Palestine protesters ‘Now is the time for ceasefire’

During a campaign stop in Arizona, US Vice President Kamala Harris, a group of Palestinians protesting, chanting for an immediate ceasefire and for a hostage swap to occur. The daily Anadolu reported that Harris, amid the shouting of ‘Free Palestine’ by some supporters during the rally she addressed in Phoenix, urged the necessity of action. 

 “I have been clear: ‘This is the time for the hostage deal cease-fire agreement and get the hostage deal done,’ Harris reaffirmed her and the President Biden administration’s call for a cease-fire and the return of the hostages. 

 Harris also listened to the pro-Palestine sensitivities and thanked them for their time. The statements were made amid the persistent pressure from global negotiators, such as Egypt, the United States of America, and Qatar, that demand Israel cease fighting operations in the Gaza Strip and enter a cease-fire as well as a hostage exchange agreement. 

 Nevertheless, such diplomatic moves have been accompanied by continued Israeli military operations in Gaza, with many fatalities. Continued conflict, which was aggravated after an attack by the Palestinian stand Hamas last October, has resulted in 39,700 deaths in the Gaza Strip. 

 Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip have been referred to as ‘genocide’. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has called on Israel to halt its military operations in Rafah immediately. This city, where more than a million Palestinians had fled, was attacked by Israeli troops on June 5. 

 The rally conducted in Arizona was part of Vice President Harris’s recently created presidential campaign. Harris declared her candidature for the Democratic nomination soon after Biden delivered the pronouncement on November 5, asserting that he would not contest for the presidency in the upcoming elections and emphatically endorsed Harris as the Democratic party’s best bet. 

International relations is an area where Harris’s campaign has been especially noteworthy for its assertiveness – she recently expressed her support for the resolution of the conflict in Gaza. Since she has just started her campaign for the presidential seat, how she will respond to various global issues and voters’ concerns will be vital. In preparation for the 2024 elections, Harris builds her campaign as a candidate who can link the domestic and global experiences, treating diplomacy and humanitarian policy as critical aspects of her campaign. Her interaction with the pro-Palestine protesters exhibits her role in dealing with these global concerns as much as it shows the primary attitude of a growing segment of American voters that are uncomfortable with the direction of the U. S. policy in the Middle East.