Seeking cease-fire in Gaza, Michigan Muslims and Arab American leaders have heated meetings with Biden administration

The Biden administration held three separate heated meetings with Muslim and Arab American community leaders in Dearborn, Michigan, earlier this week — an effort to repair ties with a community that has been very critical of President Joe Biden's role in Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

Deputy Wayne County Executive Assad Turfe was among those in attendance at the controversial meetings and said he — along with other attendees — wanted to push for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

«In our pivotal meeting with White House officials, I stood together with other leaders from the Arab American and Muslim community in unwavering determination, pressing for an immediate and irrevocable ceasefire,» Turfe said in a statement to ABC News.

The meetings, which were described as heated by those in the room, included Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, as well as members of the Muslim and Arab American communities. According to a source, the administration was there to listen and acknowledge mistakes they had made in handling the conflict, though the mayors and members of the communities proposed no plans of actions other than a cease-fire.

«We want to give them the space to have a meeting that certainly has candor,» White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday. «We want to hear directly from them. We want to hear their concerns. We believe it's important for these leaders to be able to speak directly to officials in the White House.»

Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization, launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7. More than 27,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a counter-offensive, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health