On Tuesday, Israel disclosed that it had obtained the remains of a deceased hostage from Hamas, facilitated by the Red Cross, as President ‘s 48-hour deadline approached.
However, these remains did not correspond to any of the 13 deceased hostages whose bodies remain in Gaza. It was revealed that the coffin delivered to Israel was determined to hold the remains of a hostage whose body had already been returned to Israel for interment.
The Prime Minister’s office requested that the public respect the privacy of the families of the hostages. Subsequently, Netanyahu’s office confirmed the remains as those of Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was initially recovered in 2023.
Following the repatriation of additional remains belonging to Tzarfati, the Hostages and Missing Families forum issued a statement.
“Ofir went to the Nova Festival to mark his birthday alongside his partner Shoval and close companions. The birthday festivities were violently interrupted when Ofir was taken captive and subsequently murdered. Ofir’s body was located at the close of November 2023 and transported to Israel for interment,” the forum stated.
The forum additionally mentioned that a portion of Tzarfati’s remains had been repatriated in March 2024, and that Hamas had published an image of his body in August 2024.
“We retired last night with expectation and the hope that another family would conclude a painful two-year ordeal and bring their cherished one home for burial. However, our family has again been subjected to deception as we strive to recover. This morning, we were presented with video evidence showing our beloved son’s remains being exhumed, interred, and transferred to the Red Cross — a repulsive manipulation intended to disrupt the agreement and undermine the endeavor to bring all hostages home,” the Tzarfati family declared in a statement.
“This marks the third instance we have been compelled to reopen Ofir’s grave and reinter our son. The cycle supposedly ‘concluded’ in December 2023, yet it never genuinely ends. Since that time, we have endured a wound that perpetually resurfaces, oscillating between remembrance and yearning, between sorrow and purpose.”
The Tzarfati family implored the public to back the families still awaiting the return of their cherished ones for a respectful interment.
On Saturday, Trump lauded the “very strong peace in the Middle East,” but subsequently issued a demand that they “commence repatriating the remains of deceased hostages, including two Americans, promptly.” He cautioned that if the terror group did not uphold its part of the agreement, other nations would “intervene.”
“We possess a very robust PEACE in the Middle East, and I believe it holds a strong possibility of being PERMANENT. Hamas will be required to begin the swift return of the deceased hostages’ bodies, including two Americans, otherwise the other nations participating in this GRAND PEACE will take measures,” Trump posted on .
The president further stated that while he had assured “both sides would be treated equitably,” his pledge would only be valid if “they adhere to their commitments.”
Trump recognized that “some of the remains are challenging to access,” but asserted that others could commence being returned immediately, noting that “for some unexplained reason, they are not.” He then remarked that it remained uncertain what steps Hamas would undertake within the next 48 hours, adding, “I am monitoring this very closely.”
Since the initiation of the U.S.-negotiated ceasefire, all surviving Israeli hostages detained in Gaza have been freed, while the nation anticipates the repatriation of the remains of deceased hostages.
To date, Israel has taken possession of 15 out of the 28 , encompassing Aryeh Zalmanovich, Master Sergeant (Res.) Tamir Adar, Staff Sgt. Tal Haimi, Suntaya Akrasi, Ronen Tommy Engel, Eliyahu Margalit, Uriel Baruch, Staff Sgt. Tamir Nimrodi, Eitan Levi, Daniel Peretz, Yossi Sharabi, Guy Illuz, Bipin Joshi, Inbar Hayman, and Sergeant Major Muhammad Al-Atresh. The remains of U.S.-Israeli nationals Cpt. Omer Neutra and Staff Sgt. Itay Chen have not yet been repatriated to Israel.
The Israeli government and military have insisted that Hamas uphold its obligations under the agreement and provide families with the resolution they have been deprived of for more than two years.