Israelis reacted with shock and outrage after Hamas staged the fake “recovery” of partial remains belonging to slain hostage Ofir Tzarfati, whose body had already been returned last year.
According to the IDF, Hamas filmed operatives pretending to uncover a body from the ground in Gaza City, presenting it to the Red Cross as new remains of a hostage. But forensic analysis revealed the remains were from Tzarfati — a 27-year-old kidnapped and murdered during the October 7, 2023, Nova festival massacre.
The IDF released drone footage showing the deception, with Hamas fighters burying and theatrically “rediscovering” the same remains for propaganda purposes.
Tzarfati’s mother, Rachel, called the act “continuous emotional abuse.” Speaking through tears, she said, “How can you bury your child in installments? Each time we open the grave, another part of me is buried.”
The family said Hamas’s manipulations are meant to sabotage ongoing negotiations for the return of 13 remaining hostage bodies. “They play with our pain, our dead, and the world’s compassion,” said Ofir’s sister Shoval, describing her brother as “a hero of love and light.”
Israeli officials condemned the incident as psychological warfare, calling it “one of Hamas’s cruelest acts of exploitation yet.”
