Israel announced on Tuesday that it had received the remains of a deceased hostage from Hamas through the Red Cross as President Donald Trump’s 48-hour deadline approaches.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called on the public to respect the privacy of the hostages’ families. Netanyahu’s office later identified the remains as belonging to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was first recovered in 2023.
The Hostages and Missing Families forum released a statement following the return of more of Tzarfati’s remains.
“Ofir attended the Nova Festival to celebrate his birthday with his partner Shoval and close friends. The birthday party was brutally cut short when Ofir was kidnapped into captivity, where he was murdered. Ofir’s body was recovered in late November 2023 and taken to Israel for burial,” the forum wrote.
IDF SAYS BODY TRANSFERRED BY HAMAS DOES NOT MATCH HOSTAGES
A protester holds a poster of 27-year-old hostage Ofir Tzarfati during a rally in Tel Aviv. (Ashley Chan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The forum also noted that some of Tzarfati’s remains were returned in March 2024 and that Hamas published a photo of his body in August 2024.
“We went to sleep last night with anticipation, hoping that another family would close a painful two-year cycle and bring their loved one home for burial. But once again our family has been deceived as we try to heal. This morning we were shown video footage of our beloved son’s remains being removed, buried and turned over to the Red Cross – a disgusting manipulation designed to sabotage the deal and attempt to bring all the hostages home,” the spokesperson said. The Tzarfati family wrote this in a statement.
“This is the third time that we have been forced to open the grave of Ofir and rebury our son. The circle was supposed to be ‘closed’ in December 2023, but it never really closes. Since then, we have lived with a wound that is constantly reopening, between memory and longing, between mourning and mission.”
The Tzarfati family called on the public to support the families who were still waiting for their loved ones to be brought home for a dignified burial.
The kidnapped poster of Ofir Tzarfati, who was recently declared murdered and kidnapped, is on display at a memorial exhibition of photos of people killed during Hamas’s attack on the Super Nova festival at the site on November 30, 2023 in Re’im, Israel. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
HAMAS SAYS IT WILL TURN OVER ANOTHER HOSTAGE BODY AS TRUMP’S 48-HOUR WARNING OPENS
On Saturday, Trump praised the “very strong peace in the Middle East,” but then denounced Hamas and demanded that they “swiftly begin returning the bodies of deceased hostages, including two Americans.” He said that if the terror group failed to adhere to the agreement, other countries would “take action.”
“We have a very strong PEACE in the Middle East, and I believe it has a good chance of lasting ETERNAL. Hamas will have to quickly begin returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, or the other countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action,” Trump wrote. Truth social.
The president added that while he said “both deaths would be treated fairly,” his pledge would only apply if “they meet their obligations.”
A drone shot shows participants holding a large banner during a rally held by hostage families and supporters at “Hostages Square” to demand the immediate release of the bodies of the deceased hostages kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 18, 2025. (Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters)
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Trump acknowledged that “some bodies are difficult to reach” but said others could now be returned, adding that “for some reason that is not the case.” He then said it remained to be seen what actions Hamas would take in the next 48 hours, adding: “I am watching this closely.”
Since the US-brokered ceasefire began, all living Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been released as the country awaits the return of the remains of deceased hostages.
To date, Israel has received the remains of 15 of the 28 deceased hostages, including Aryeh Zalmanovich, Master Sergeant (Res.) 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 civilians Cpt. Omer Neutra and Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, have not been returned to Israel.
The Israeli government and military have repeatedly called on Hamas to suspend the end of the deal and give families the closure they have been denied for more than two years.
