New York Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani would not say whether he thinks Hamas should disarm despite being asked several times during an interview with Fox News’s Martha MacCallum on Wednesday.

“Do you believe Hamas should lay down their weapons and leave the leadership in Gaza?” MacCallum asked, referencing reports that Hamas has continued killing Palestinian civilians and has not returned all of the deceased hostages’ bodies — including American citizens — in accordance with the deal made earlier this week.

“I think those are bodies and remains that should absolutely be returned, and I think that I have no issue with critiquing Hamas or the Israeli government, because my critiques all come from a place of universal human rights,” Mamdani replied. “And my focus, however, is right here in New York City and transforming the most expensive city in America into one that’s affordable for each and every New Yorker.”

Mamdani has faced scrutiny over his stances on Israel throughout his campaign, scrutiny that has not abated since the remaining living hostages were released earlier this week. The New York City area has the largest Jewish population outside of Tel Aviv, according to the Jewish Virtual Library. 

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“But do you believe that Hamas should lay down their weapons and leave the leadership in Gaza?” MacCallum pressed Mamdani.

“I believe that any future here in New York City is one that have to make sure that’s affordable for all. And as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we have to ensure that there is peace. And that is the future we have to fight for.”

“But you won’t say that Hamas should lay down their arms and give up leadership in Gaza?” MacCallum asked. 

“I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety, and the fact that anything has to abide by international law. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, applies to anyone you could ask me about,” Mamdani responded.

Election Day in New York City is on Nov. 4, and Mamdani is currently in a high-profile battle against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — running as an independent — and Republican Curtis Sliwa. The candidates are scheduled to debate on Thursday night. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams recently dropped out of the race, and most polling shows Mamdani leading the pack by double digits, according to The New York Times.

NBC News cut 7% of its workforce ahead of the split that will separate NBC from sister network MSNBC, soon to be known only as “MSNOW.”

According to a report from The Wrap, the terminations hit the dedicated teams “covering issues affecting black, Asian American, Latino and LGBTQ+ groups” hardest. Some 150 employees were reportedly laid off.

As The Wrap reported, the verticals that feature coverage about those issues (NBC BLK, NBC Asian America, NBC Latino, and NBC OUT) will still exist — and new stories will still be pursued and reported on — but the coverage will be spread out across the newsroom rather than provided by teams dedicated to those specific beats.

The cuts represent about 7% of the 2,000 staffers at the NBC News newsroom, and about 2% of the broader company that also includes several local stations owned by NBC outright in addition to Telemundo. A report from Variety noted that the cuts could simply result in changing roles, as those who are being terminated will still have the option to apply for more than 100 different open positions across the news division.

The coming NBC split will also see its parent company, Comcast, spinning off other networks from the main news division — networks such as CNBC and USA Network will all fall under the same brand, Versant.

Other reports have also suggested that a similar fate — and a hefty round of layoffs — could be looming in the not-too-distant future for CBS News as well.

The Washington Free Beacon noted over the summer that whether or not CNN faces more layoffs in the near future, it’s likely that some of the highest-paid personalities on the network could face pay cuts in the future. Among those mentioned most frequently were Anderson Cooper ($18 million annually), Jake Tapper ($7.5 million annually), and several others. Gayle King, who earns $13-15 million annually at CBS, was also mentioned as one who could potentially see her pay reduced.