Hamas tried to pass off missing remains of an Israeli hostage already recovered in 2023 as belonging to one of more than a dozen dead hostages still in Gaza, with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office condemning the move as a “clear violation” of President Donald Trump’s peace deal.
“Following the completion of the identification process, it was found that last night, remains belonging to fallen hostage Ofir Tzarfati—of blessed memory, who was returned from the Gaza Strip in a military operation about 2 years ago—were returned,” Netanyahu’s office announced Tuesday.
Following the completion of the identification process, it was found that last night, remains belonging to fallen hostage Ofir Tzarfati – of blessed memory, who was returned from the Gaza Strip in a military operation about 2 years ago – were returned. His family was notified.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 28, 2025
The Israel Defense Forces recovered most of Tzarfati’s remains by December 2023. “Hamas has now handed over additional remains belonging to Ofir,” who was shot and kidnapped during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, “under the guise of them belonging to one of the 13 dead hostages still in Gaza,” Amit Segal, a journalist for Israel’s Channel 12, reported Tuesday.
“This constitutes a clear violation of the agreement by the Hamas terrorist organization,” Netanyahu’s office added, saying the prime minister “will hold a security discussion with the heads of the security establishment to discuss Israel’s steps in response to the violations.”
Trump on Saturday gave Hamas a 48-hour deadline to return the bodies of dead hostages. The terror group had failed to hand over any bodies to Israel for six days.
Hamas’s timing of the fake hostage return “was no accident,” Segal wrote. “Rather, Hamas’ goal is to buy more time while simultaneously playing with Israeli society.”
Trump’s peace deal this month has resulted in a ceasefire and the release of all 20 living Israeli hostages. Israel, which has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, responded to Hamas’s failure to return all dead hostages by shutting down a Gaza border crossing and restricting aid. The IDF is likely to expand its control of Gaza in response to Hamas’s violations of the deal, according to Segal’s report.
