Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday accused Hamas of violating the terms of the ongoing ceasefire agreement by returning the body of an Israeli hostage who had already been recovered nearly two years ago.
“Following the completion of the identification process, it was found that last night, remains belonging to fallen hostage Ofir Tzarfati, who was returned from the Gaza Strip in a military operation about two years ago, were returned. His family was notified,” Netanyahu’s office stated in a post on X.
The Israeli government condemned the act as a deliberate provocation and confirmed that Netanyahu will convene a security discussion with defense and intelligence officials to determine Israel’s response to the breach.
According to reports, Tzarfati’s family said they were shown footage of Hamas operatives digging a hole and burying the body in Gaza, before later informing the Red Cross to uncover it.
The development threatens to further strain the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas, which had been holding amid cautious optimism following recent prisoner exchanges and humanitarian efforts.
