Netanyahu says Hamas returned remains of previously recovered Gaza hostage
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that body parts returned by Hamas overnight were the partial remains of a hostage previously recovered in Gaza nearly two years ago, raising tensions around the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Netanyahu described the return as a “clear violation” of the agreement, which requires Hamas to return all Israeli hostage remains promptly, and announced he would convene top security officials to discuss Israel’s response. Options under consideration reportedly include halting humanitarian aid to Gaza, expanding Israeli control in the territory, or carrying out targeted airstrikes against Hamas leaders.
The returned remains have been identified as those of Ofir Tzarfati, who was kidnapped during the Hamas-led attack on Israel at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023. Tzarfati was killed in captivity, and his body was previously recovered by Israeli forces in November 2023, with additional remains provided to his family in March 2024. His family called the latest return an “abhorrent manipulation,” saying it forced them to reopen his grave for the third time.
The slow return of hostages’ remains has complicated efforts to implement the next stages of the ceasefire, which include disarming Hamas, deploying an international security force in Gaza, and determining governance in the territory. Hamas has said it is struggling to locate bodies amid widespread destruction, while Israel has accused the group of deliberate delays. Egyptian teams with heavy equipment have been assisting in the search in Khan Younis and Nuseirat.
Earlier Tuesday, Israeli authorities killed three Palestinian militants during an operation in the northern West Bank near Jenin, a known militant stronghold. Israeli forces said the men were shot after emerging from a cave, with two killed immediately and the third shortly after. An airstrike was carried out in the area to destroy the cave. Hamas identified two of the men as members of its Qassam Brigades.
In Gaza, Israel has returned 195 Palestinian bodies in exchange for dead hostages, though fewer than half have been identified. On Monday, 41 unidentified bodies were buried in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, while a funeral for slain Israeli hostage Yossi Sharabi was held in Israel. The initial ceasefire saw the return of the last 20 living hostages to Israel, which released roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis.
The two-year conflict has left over 68,500 Palestinians dead in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel disputes these figures but has not provided its own official count.
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