Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that body parts returned by Hamas overnight belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage previously recovered by Israeli forces in Gaza nearly two years ago, raising tensions over the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
Netanyahu called the return a “clear violation” of the ceasefire, which requires Hamas to hand over all Israeli hostages’ remains promptly. He planned an emergency meeting with top security officials to decide Israel’s next steps, which could include halting humanitarian aid, expanding control over Gaza, or airstrikes targeting Hamas leaders.
Thirteen Israeli hostages’ remains are still in Gaza, complicating the next stages of the ceasefire, including Hamas disarmament, international security deployment, and governance arrangements. Egypt has deployed teams to assist in locating the remaining bodies in Khan Younis and Nuseirat.
The returned remains belong to Tzarfati, abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack at Israel’s Nova music festival, which killed nearly 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. His family said this marks the third time they have had to rebury him, calling the return an “abhorrent manipulation.”
Separately, Israeli forces killed three Palestinian militants in a West Bank raid near Jenin. In exchange for returned hostages’ remains, Israel has handed back 195 Palestinian bodies to Gaza. The last 20 living hostages were returned at the start of the ceasefire, with Israel releasing roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Over 68,500 Palestinians have died in the two-year Gaza war, according to Gaza authorities.
