Hamas returns remains of hostage already returned to Israel in 2023

Israel announced Tuesday that it had received the remains of a deceased hostage from Hamas via the Red Cross as the 48-hour deadline set by President Donald Trump approached.

However, the remains do not match any of the 13 deceased hostages whose bodies are still in Gaza. Fox News has learned that the coffin handed over to Israel contained the remains of a hostage whose body had already been brought back to Israel for burial. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office urged the public to respect the privacy of the hostages’ families. Neither the Israeli government nor the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed the identity of the deceased hostage.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum issued a statement appearing to identify the remains as belonging to Ofir Tzarfati.

“Ofir attended the Nova Festival to celebrate his birthday with his partner Shoval and close friends. The birthday celebration was abruptly cut short when Ofir was kidnapped into captivity, where he was murdered. Ofir’s body was found in late November 2023 and buried in Israel,” the forum wrote.

The forum also noted that part of Tzarfati’s remains were returned in March 2024 and that in August 2024, Hamas released a photo of his body.

“We went to sleep last night looking forward and hoping that another family would close an agonizing two-year circle and bring their loved one home for burial. But once again, deception has been inflicted on our family as we try to heal. This morning we were shown video footage of our beloved son’s remains being removed, buried and handed over to the Red Cross – a heinous manipulation intended to sabotage the deal and abandon efforts to bring all the hostages home,” the statement said. The Tzarfati family wrote in a statement.

“This is the third time that we have been forced to open Ofir’s grave and rebury our son. The circle would have been “closed” in December 2023, but it never really closes. Since then, we have lived with a wound that is constantly reopening, between memory and desire, between mourning and mission.”

The Tzarfati family urged the public to support families who are still waiting for their loved ones to be brought home for a dignified burial.

On Saturday, Trump touted “a very strong peace in the Middle East,” but then lashed out at Hamas and demanded that it “begin quickly returning the bodies of deceased hostages, including two Americans.” He said if the terror group failed to uphold its side of the deal, other countries would “take action.”

“We have a very strong PEACE in the Middle East, and I believe it has a good chance of being eternal. Hamas will have to begin quickly returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, or the other countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will act,” Trump wrote.

The president added that while he said “the two dead would be treated fairly,” his promise would only apply if they “respect their obligations.”

Trump acknowledged that “some bodies are hard to get to” but said others could start being returned now, adding that “for whatever reason they’re not.” He then said it remained to be seen what actions Hamas would take in the next 48 hours, adding: “I’m watching this very closely.”

Since the start of the US-brokered ceasefire, all Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been released, while the country awaits the return of the remains of the deceased hostages.

So far, Israel has received the remains of 15 of the 28 deceased hostages, including Aryeh Zalmanovich, Master Sergeant (Reserve) 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 American-Israeli citizen Cpt. Omer Neutra and Sgt. Itay Chen, were not returned to Israel.

The Israeli government and military have repeatedly called on Hamas to uphold its side of the deal and grant families the closure they have been denied for more than two years.