Hamas has returned further remains of Ofir Tzarfati, an Israeli hostage killed in Gaza, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office confirmed on Tuesday. Thirteen other bodies of murdered hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas, reports The Jerusalem Post.
Tzarfati was first confirmed dead after partial remains were retrieved during a joint IDF and Shin Bet operation in December 2023, with additional remains recovered in March 2024. The latest transfer took place late Monday night, when the IDF brought the remains into Israeli territory and delivered them to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir shortly after midnight.
An Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post that the development “cannot go without a response,” and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to convene a high-level meeting to discuss Israel’s reaction. Israeli and US officials have reportedly discussed potential measures in recent days.
A member of Hamas’s Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades told Al Jazeera that the remains were discovered during excavation operations in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood, which currently lies on the Hamas-controlled side of the ceasefire’s Yellow Line.
In a statement, Hamas claimed to be excavating the remains of additional slain hostages and insisted that it was “committed to the ceasefire agreement and the handover of the bodies of Israeli prisoners.” The group simultaneously accused Israel of attempting “to destroy the Strip and displace its people.”
According to Saudi network Asharq News, Hamas has told Arab mediators that it is working to recover the remains of seven to nine more Israeli hostages.
The handover reportedly took place hours before a 48-hour deadline issued by US President Donald Trump, who urged Hamas to accelerate the return of deceased hostages, including two Americans.
“Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly,” Trump wrote. “Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.”
Israel continues to demand the full return of all hostage remains, while public pressure mounts for a decisive response to Hamas’s continued desecration of victims’ bodies and exploitation of the hostage issue for political leverage.
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