Israeli officials claim that the militant group Hamas orchestrated a deceptive hand-over of remains, returning body parts on October 27 that forensic testing shows belonged to Ofir Tzarfati—a hostage whose body was already recovered in December 2023. The Israeli military released drone footage it says captures Hamas militants digging up a corpse, burying it in a hole and later presenting it to the International Committee of the Red Cross as part of a formal cooperation process.
The incident has raised fresh doubts about Hamas’s commitment to the terms of the cease-fire deal and the return of all deceased hostages’ remains. Israeli ministers described the action as a violation of the truce and warned of renewed military escalation unless all bodies are accounted for.