Hamas has been accused of violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement after returning partial remains of a previously recovered hostage instead of another deceased captive, as stipulated in its deal with Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Hamas handed over what it claimed to be the 16th of 28 bodies of hostages agreed to be returned under the US-brokered truce that began on October 10. However, Israeli forensic experts later confirmed the remains belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body had already been recovered from Gaza nearly two years earlier.
Netanyahu’s office condemned the move as a “blatant breach of the agreement” and announced that the prime minister would meet with security officials to discuss Israel’s next steps. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum also called for decisive action, accusing Hamas of “deceiving the United States and mediators while desecrating the memory of our loved ones.”
Several far-right Israeli ministers demanded retaliation. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Hamas’s actions showed the group was “still standing,” urging Israel to “break its legs once and for all.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also accused Hamas of “continuous violations” and called for the re-arrest of militants freed under the hostage deal.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem rejected the allegations, arguing that Israel’s bombardments had made it difficult to locate all the missing bodies. “We are committed to handing over the bodies of the Israeli captives as soon as possible,” he said.
According to the ceasefire terms, Hamas has already returned all 20 living hostages.
The October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel killed 1,221 people, mostly civilians, and led to 251 abductions. Since then, Israel’s operations in Gaza have claimed more than 68,000 lives, according to the Hamas-run health ministry — figures the United Nations considers generally reliable. Despite the truce, 94 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began.
The family of Ofir Tzarfati confirmed that additional remains belonging to him were returned to Israel on Monday night — marking the third time his grave has been reopened. “This is the third time we’ve had to rebury our son,” the family said. “We thought the chapter ended in December 2023, but it never truly does.”
