Tim Walz's renewed remarks on dead Israeli hostages after dodging direct questions get criticized

WASHINGTON DC: Tim Walz, Kamala Harris' Vice Presidential pick, came under fire on Sunday after avoiding a direct question on camera regarding the murder of six Israeli hostages, which included Israeli-American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

A reporter confronted Walz about his reaction, but instead of responding, he hesitated and then abruptly left the room, leaving many Americans waiting for a statement.

Tim Walz avoids questions about Israeli hostages

The incident quickly drew criticism online, particularly from Donald Trump's supporters and the campaign, who circulated the video on social media platforms.

The video of Walz avoiding the question sparked widespread ridicule on social media.

"What's your reaction to the six hostages being found in Gaza?" a reporter asked Walz, who simply walked away without responding. The Trump War Room posted the video on X, further fueling the backlash against the VP hopeful.

Tim Walz's statement about Hamas hostages 

In an apparent attempt to recover from the incident, Tim Walz issued a statement on social media, addressing the killed hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

"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," Walz posted.

"Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization — and we condemn their continued atrocities against both Americans and Israelis in the strongest possible terms," the VP nominee further wrote.

Joe Biden's stern reaction to Benjamin Netanyahu on securing hostage deal

Meanwhile, the situation surrounding the Israeli hostages continued to evolve. Israel confirmed on Sunday, September 1, that the six hostages had been killed on Saturday, with conflicting reports about the circumstances of their deaths.

While the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) denied claims that the hostages were killed by Israeli fire, an unnamed Hamas official told AFP that they had been “killed by the [Israeli] occupation’s fire and bombing," The Guardian reported.

In response to the ongoing situation, President Biden expressed his dissatisfaction with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the hostage negotiations.

"Mr President, do you think it’s time for Prime Minister Netanyahu to do more on this issue?" he was asked. "Do you think he is doing enough?" Biden responded flatly, "No."

Biden added that "we're very close" to securing a final hostage deal, though he acknowledged that hope was the driving force behind their efforts saying, "Hope springs eternal," Fox News reported. 

Tim Walz's late response about Israeli hostages triggers backlash

Tim Walz attempted to address the issue on X, but it did little to quell the criticism he faced.

Social media users continued to slam him for his delayed response, with one person writing, "Are you only saying it now because you got busted avoiding the question?"

Another questioned, "Why didn't you speak up earlier today when you were asked at the Minnesota State Fair?"

"Maybe one day you will build up the nerve to talk about this in person," one more posted. Another user observed, "You wouldn’t have said anything if this wasn’t caught on tape."

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