While on the campaign trail this weekend, Minnesota Governor and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz declined to respond to a question about the recent discovery of six hostages found dead in Gaza.
Walz attended the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday with his wife and daughter. He was seen enjoying the fair, ordering a pork chop and later some ice cream, and engaging with attendees. Calling it the “best” state fair, Walz interacted with the media. However, when a reporter asked him, “What’s your reaction to the six hostages being found in Gaza?” Walz chose not to answer. Instead, he waved to the crowd, said, “Thanks everybody,” and quickly walked away.
The question referred to the report that six hostages, including an American citizen, were found dead in Gaza. The victims—Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Ori Danino, 25; Alex Lobanov, 32; Carmel Gat, 40; and Almog Sarusi, 27—were discovered in an underground tunnel on Sunday, according to Israeli military officials. These hostages were among the more than 200 people taken by Hamas militants during their October 7 attack on Israel.
The Israeli Defense Forces reported that the hostages were “brutally” murdered just before their troops could reach them. Three of the hostages were reportedly expected to be released during a potential ceasefire agreement, according to CNN.
In response to calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “Whoever murders hostages doesn’t want a deal.”
