Hamas hands over remains of hostage who was already returned to Israel in 2023

Israel introduced on Tuesday that it had acquired the stays of a deceased hostage from Hamas by the Pink Cross as President Donald Trump’s 48-hour deadline approaches.

Nevertheless, the stays didn’t match these of the 13 deceased hostages, whose our bodies are nonetheless in Gaza. Fox Information has discovered that the coffin handed over to Israel was estimated to comprise the stays of a hostage whose physique had already been returned to Israel for burial. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace known as on the general public to respect the privateness of the hostages’ households. Neither the Israeli authorities nor the Israeli Protection Forces (IDF) have confirmed the identification of the deceased hostage.

The Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board launched a press release figuring out the stays as belonging to Ofir Tzarfati.

“Ofir attended the Nova Pageant to rejoice his birthday together with his companion Shoval and shut pals. The celebration was brutally reduce quick when Ofir was kidnapped into captivity, the place he was murdered. Ofir’s physique was recovered in late November 2023 and brought to Israel for burial,” the discussion board wrote.

IDF SAYS BODY TRANSFERRED BY HAMAS DOES NOT MATCH HOSTAGES

A protester holds a poster of 27-year-old hostage Ofir Tzarfati throughout a rally in Tel Aviv. (Ashley Chan/SOPA Photographs/LightRocket through Getty Photographs)

The discussion board additionally famous that a few of Tzarfati’s stays have been returned in March 2024 and that Hamas revealed a photograph of his physique in August 2024.

“We went to sleep final evening with anticipation, hoping that one other household would shut a painful two-year cycle and produce their beloved one residence for burial. However as soon as once more our household has been deceived as we attempt to heal. This morning we have been proven video footage of our beloved son’s stays being eliminated, buried and turned over to the Pink Cross – a disgusting manipulation designed to sabotage the deal and try to deliver all of the hostages residence,” the spokesperson stated. The Tzarfati household wrote this in a press release.

“That is the third time that we’ve been compelled to open the grave of Ofir and rebury our son. The circle was imagined to be ‘closed’ in December 2023, however it by no means actually closes. Since then, we’ve lived with a wound that’s consistently reopening, between reminiscence and longing, between mourning and mission.”

The Tzarfati household known as on the general public to assist the households who have been nonetheless ready for his or her family members to be introduced residence for a dignified burial.

The kidnapped poster of Ofir Tzarfati, who was just lately declared murdered and kidnapped, is on show at a memorial exhibition of pictures of individuals killed throughout Hamas’s assault on the Tremendous Nova pageant on the website on November 30, 2023 in Re’im, Israel. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Photographs)

HAMAS SAYS IT WILL TURN OVER ANOTHER HOSTAGE BODY AS TRUMP’S 48-HOUR WARNING OPENS

On Saturday, Trump praised the “very sturdy peace within the Center East,” however then denounced Hamas and demanded that they “swiftly start returning the our bodies of deceased hostages, together with two Individuals.” He stated that if the phobia group failed to stick to the settlement, different international locations would “take motion.”

“We’ve got a really sturdy PEACE within the Center East, and I imagine it has a great probability of lasting ETERNAL. Hamas should rapidly start returning the our bodies of the deceased hostages, together with two Individuals, or the opposite international locations concerned on this GREAT PEACE will take motion,” Trump wrote. Truth Social.

The president added that whereas he stated “each deaths could be handled pretty,” his pledge would solely apply if “they meet their obligations.”

A drone shot reveals individuals holding a big banner throughout a rally held by hostage households and supporters at “Hostages Sq.” to demand the fast launch of the our bodies of the deceased hostages kidnapped through the lethal October 7, 2023 assault on Israel by Hamas in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 18, 2025. (Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters)

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Trump acknowledged that “some our bodies are troublesome to succeed in” however stated others may now be returned, including that “for some purpose that isn’t the case.” He then stated it remained to be seen what actions Hamas would take within the subsequent 48 hours, including: “I’m watching this intently.”

Because the US-brokered ceasefire started, all dwelling Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been launched because the nation awaits the return of the stays of deceased hostages.

Up to now, Israel has acquired the stays of 15 of the 28 deceased hostages, together with Aryeh Zalmanovich, Grasp Sergeant (Res.) Tamir Adar, Workers Sgt. Tal Haimi, Suntaya Akrasi, Ronen Tommy Engel, Eliyahu Margalit, Uriel Baruch, Workers Sgt. Tamir Nimrodi, Eitan Levi, Daniel Peretz, Yossi Sharabi, Man Illuz, Bipin Joshi, Inbar Hayman and Sergeant Main Muhammad Al-Atresh. The stays of American-Israeli civilians Cpt. Omer Neutra and Workers Sgt. Itay Chen, haven’t been returned to Israel.

The Israeli authorities and navy have repeatedly known as on Hamas to droop the tip of the deal and provides households the closure they’ve been denied for greater than two years.