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Walz condemns Hamas after seemingly missing question on the execution of six hostages

Politicians from both sides of the aisle joined the condemnation, with many urging the completion of a deal to rescue those remaining in captivity.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz strongly condemned Hamas Sunday after being slammed for appearing to miss a request for a comment on the execution of six hostages whose remains were found over the weekend in a Gaza tunnel.

Walz had been taking questions from supporters at the Minnesota State Fair when he was asked for his reaction to the murders, but instead of answering ended the question-and-answer session, saying, “All right, thanks everybody,” before walking away.

Later in the day, he posted to X, “The anguish of losing a child is something no family should have to endure. Gwen and I send our deepest condolences to the Goldberg-Polin family, after Hamas’ murder of their son Hersh.”

“Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization — and we condemn their continued atrocities against both Americans and Israelis in the strongest possible terms.”

Hersh Goldberg-Polin was an Israeli-American, and his parents, Rachel and Jon, had addressed the Democratic National Convention last month, asking for support in their battle to extract him from Hamas captivity.

His statement echoed that of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, and President Joe Biden, who had almost immediately put out statements after the hostages’ identities were publicized.

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Harris had called Hamas “evil terrorists” whose “depravity is evident and horrifying,” and said that “The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel — and American citizens in Israel — must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza.”

Biden said he was “heartbroken” at the news of Goldberg-Polin’s death, which was “as tragic as it is reprehensible.” He added both that “Hamas leader will pay for these crimes” and that he was continuing to work “around the clock” for a hostage deal.

The White House later announced that both American leaders had spoken with Hersh’s parents, who will be burying their son Monday afternoon in Jerusalem.

Many other American politicians, from both sides of the aisle, condemned Hamas for the execution of the six innocent civilians who had been abducted among 245 others during the brutal invasion of Israel that Hamas led on October 7, when they and other groups’ terrorists murdered 1,200 people, including babies and the elderly.

Senior congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), publicly addressed the killings.

In Israel, American Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew joined his diplomatic colleagues from more than 30 other countries Sunday evening at a memorial vigil for the victims that was held at the Tel Aviv offices of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum offices.

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Sticking to the same theme as the legislators, he said his condolence message to the gathering, “For weeks, we’ve been saying that time is of the essence. Last night, we saw we’re already in overtime.”