Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate who had previously avoided questions about the hostages, finally issued a statement following news that the bodies of six hostages, including one American, had been found in a Hamas tunnel underground in the Gaza Strip.
in post On the X website, Waltz mourned the death of Hersh Goldberg Polin, 23, an American-Israeli son who was one of the six hostages identified, and wrote that he and his wife, Gwen, offer “deepest condolences to the Goldberg-Polin family.”
Waltz's post came after a reporter at the Minnesota State Fair asked him for his “reaction” to the news that the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas had been found, and the reporter avoided the question and walked away.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified the six hostages killed as Carmel Gatto, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarsi, Ori Danino and Goldberg Polin.
“The grief of losing a child is something no family should have to endure,” Waltz said in the post. “Gwen and I send our deepest condolences to the Goldberg-Polin family, whose son, Hersh, was murdered by Hamas. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms their continued atrocities against both America and Israel.”
The loss of a child is something no family should have to endure. Gwen and I send our heartfelt condolences to the Goldberg-Polin family, whose son, Hersh, was murdered by Hamas.
Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization and we condemn their continuing atrocities…
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) September 2, 2024
Y Net News Reported Autopsies on the hostages' bodies found they had suffered “gunshot wounds to the head and other parts of the body” and had been executed “within 48 hours” before their bodies were discovered.
Autopsies revealed that the bodies of all six hostages found and taken into custody in Gaza on Sunday had suffered gunshot wounds to the head and other parts of the body.
Autopsies revealed that they had been executed within 48 hours of being discovered, and that their bodies showed signs of neglect during their captivity.
No evidence of torture was found, except for one hostage who had been bound, but the condition of the bodies indicated systematic neglect, including a long period of poor hygiene, and signs of injuries sustained during the abduction that had not been treated over time.
Waltz's statement came following a statement from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, in which Biden said “Hamas' leaders will pay a price for these crimes.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) also responded to the news, saying his “support for Israel is unwavering.” Sen. Fetterman has been a staunch supporter of Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) ordered flags flown at half-staff in memory of Goldberg-Polin, whose family lived in Richmond, Virginia, for several years before emigrated to Israel.
