As the Israeli war in Gaza rages on, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud has watched his Palestinian American residents continue to lose their family and friends to Israeli ground and airstrikes.

Israeli forces have killed more than 39,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7 when Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israelis and took 253 as hostages in a surprise attack.

Listen: Dearborn Mayor Hammoud on how Democrats can sway Arab American voters in Michigan

Hammoud has been speaking out for people in Dearborn touched by the war as he pushes for a permanent ceasefire. He frequently appears in the national media to elevate Palestinian voices.

Meanwhile, his work to strengthen the Uncommitted Movement showed the Democrats that the Arab American vote is not guaranteed.

Related: Political pundits Adrian Hemond, John Sellek go in-depth on Michigan’s ‘uncommitted’ vote

Hammoud never anticipated he would find himself in this position while governing a mid-sized city of roughly 100,000 people.

“I ran on the issues of ensuring that your garbage is picked up on time, that our parks are beautiful and clean and invested in,” he said. Instead, Hammoud finds himself “at the center of a global issue.”

Now the movement he is part of has its gaze on Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris. Hammoud remains cautiously optimistic about the Vice President’s appetite to end the war, but he has yet to say he will vote for her.

WDET sat down with Hammoud in his office in Dearborn to discuss the personal toll of doing this work, what he wishes journalists would ask him — but never do — and what Palestinian liberation should look like.

Listen to the conversation using the media player above.

Story has been updated to correct the number of Israelis killed during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.