Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, has finally broken his silence on the discovery of the bodies of six hostages, including American-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, in a Hamas tunnel under Gaza.
In a statement on X, Walz expressed his condolences to the Goldberg-Polin family, saying that he and his wife, Gwen, send their “deepest condolences” as they mourn the loss of their 23-year-old son.
The statement came after Walz dodged a question from a reporter at the Minnesota State Fair about his reaction to the news.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified the six murdered hostages as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, Ori Danino, and Goldberg-Polin. Walz condemned Hamas’s actions, calling the organization “brutal” and “terrorist.”
Walz’s statement followed those from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who both condemned the killings and vowed to hold Hamas accountable. Biden stated that “Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes.”
Autopsies conducted on the hostages’ bodies revealed that they had sustained gunshot wounds to their head and other areas, and had been executed within 48 hours of their bodies being found. The news has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from politicians and leaders across the US.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) expressed his “unbreakable” support for Israel, while Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Goldberg-Polin, who had previously lived in Richmond, Virginia, with his family before moving to Israel.
