In a presidential campaign short on concrete Middle East policy, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump loosely alluded to their planned approaches to the Gaza war and escalating regional conflict while marking the one-year anniversary of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel. 

Trump projected a strength-first strategy during his speech at an event at his Doral golf resort in Miami Monday remembering the 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, killed by Hamas and over 200 kidnapped and taken into Gaza. The Republican presidential candidate said the relationship between the United States and Israel would “be stronger and closer than it ever was before” if he wins a second term. 

Harris took a more moderate stance and spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, now entering its second year. She told reporters after a tree-planting ceremony in remembrance of the Oct. 7 victims that the cease-fire hostage deal is one of the highest priorities of the Biden administration, suggesting that if elected president she would continue talks for the return of hostages and a permanent end to fighting.

“We are not going to give up. We’re doing everything we can possibly do to get the cease-fire hostage deal done, and it’s one of the most important ways we will be able to end this war and bring any semblance of stability to the region,” Harris said.