Israel to respond after Hamas hands over wrong hostage remains
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will act after Hamas returned human remains that do not belong to missing Israeli hostages, a move Israel views as a ceasefire violation.
The remains given on Monday were confirmed to belong to Ofir Tzarfati, an Israeli killed during Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, whose body had already been recovered. The 13 remaining hostages are still missing, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Netanyahu will meet defence chiefs later Tuesday to decide Israel’s next steps.
Hamas says it is trying to locate hostage remains, but faces challenges due to limited equipment and the scale of destruction in Gaza. Spokesperson Hazem Qassem promised, “Hamas will continue every effort to hand over the remaining bodies as soon as possible.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said he is “very closely” monitoring the return of bodies.
Israeli ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir urged Netanyahu to take tough action.
Any response may require U.S. approval, as Washington brokered the fragile ceasefire.
Heavy machinery from Egypt is aiding the search across Gaza, including in Khan Younis and Nuseirat, with bulldozers clearing rubble and Hamas fighters securing the areas. Many bodies may be in Hamas’ tunnel networks, still largely intact despite Israeli demolition efforts.
Gaza health authorities report 68,000 confirmed Palestinian deaths and thousands still missing from two years of Israeli strikes. Israel launched the war after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages.
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