Israel announced Thursday that it had received information from Hamas indicating that the Red Cross is heading to a meeting point in the central Gaza Strip, “where several coffins of deceased hostages will be taken into custody.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) did not specify exactly how many coffins were transferred. In its announcement, the IDF reiterated its demand that Hamas hand over the remains of all deceased hostages.
HAMAS TRANSFER REMAINS OF HOSTAGE WHICH WERE FOUND ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO
Red Cross vehicles arrive to receive from Hamas terrorists the bodies of deceased hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, as part of a ceasefire and hostage-swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, October 14, 2025. (Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said some of Tzarfati’s remains were returned in March 2024 and that Hamas published a photo of his body in August 2024.
“This is the third time we have been forced to open Ofir’s grave and rebury our son,” Tzarfati’s family said in a statement. ‘The circle is supposed to be ‘closed’ in December 2023, but it is never really closed. Since then we have lived with a wound that is constantly reopening, between memory and longing, between mourning and mission.’
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
There are currently 13 deceased hostages whose remains remain in Gaza, including two US citizens, Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. So far, Israel has received the remains of 15 of the 28 deceased hostages.
The hostages whose remains were returned include 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.
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This is a development story. Check back later for updates.
