Hamas overnight on Monday only released remains of an Israeli hostage whose body had already been retrieved for burial, and not a 16th body, in violation of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip.
Under U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, the Palestinian terror organization committed to handing over all 48 hostages—both living and deceased—on Oct. 13. While the 20 living captives were all freed that day, Hamas has been slow-walking the return of the 28 bodies.
So far, Hamas has returned only 15. Jerusalem reportedly believes that the terror organization can find at least 10 of the 13 remaining bodies.
“Following the completion of the identification process this morning, it was found that last night, remains belonging to the deceased hostage Ofir Tzarfati, of blessed memory, were returned from Gaza,” Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office stated on Tuesday afternoon, adding that Tzarfati’s family had been notified.
Tzarfati’s body was retrieved from Gaza as part of an Israeli military operation in December 2023, the PMO noted, adding that Hamas’s refusal to return a 16th hostage body “constitutes a clear violation of the agreement by the Hamas terrorist organization.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to hold a discussion with the heads of Israel’s defense establishment on Tuesday, “during which Israel’s response to these violations will be discussed,” it added.
Ynet reported that Israel was examining several potential responses to Hamas’s violations, including expanding the Israeli military’s control of Gaza territory.
Unverified footage published by Israeli media on Tuesday afternoon appeared to show Hamas terrorists staging the recovery in front of the Red Cross, initially by throwing remains out of a window into a pit and then covering it with dirt in front of what appears to be a ICRC team.
JNS reached out to an ICRC spokesperson for comment on the video.
The Israel Defense Force has released drone footage from yesterday which they say shows Hamas “staging” the recovery of hostage remains yesterday for members of the International Red Cross, claiming it to be a violation of the ceasefire in Gaza.
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 28, 2025
The video allegedly shows Hamas… pic.twitter.com/MidWVPFdld
In a statement shared by Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Tuesday afternoon, Tzarfati’s family said it was shown “video footage of our beloved son’s remains being removed, buried and handed over to the Red Cross—an abhorrent manipulation designed to sabotage the deal and abandon the effort to bring all the hostages home.”
They went on to state that “we went to sleep last night with anticipation and hope 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 upon our family as we try to heal.
“This is the third time we have been forced to open Ofir’s grave and rebury our son. The circle supposedly ‘closed’ back in December 2023, but it never truly closes. Since then, we have lived with a wound that constantly reopens, between memory and longing, between bereavement and mission,” the family added.
Israel said shortly before midnight on Monday that its forces had escorted a coffin across the border into the Jewish state and that the remains were on the way to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification.
Earlier in the evening, the Jewish state confirmed that the International Committee of the Red Cross had retrieved a body from Gaza.
“Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages,” the Israeli military said.
In the past, the Hamas terror organization has returned remains that it said were those of deceased hostages, but which turned out not to be.
On Saturday, Trump had urged Hamas to return over the following 48 hours the remains of the deceased hostages the terror group still holds or face action by “the other countries involved” in his peace deal.
“Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly,” he wrote on Truth Social, “or the other countries involved in this great peace will take action.”
“Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not. Perhaps it has to do with their disarming,” the president continued.
“When I said, ‘Both sides would be treated fairly,’ that only applies if they comply with their obligations,” he added. “Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.”
