Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video that he said proves Hamas violated the fragile US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza by faking the recovery of an Israeli hostage’s remains.
The footage, posted on the official account of the Prime Minister’s Office, features drone footage narrated in Hebrew and English.
The video alleges that Hamas staged the recovery of a hostage’s body to mislead Israel, the United States, and the international community during ongoing hostage negotiations.
According to the narration, the images show workers in a rubble-strewn area, believed to be Gaza, using excavators to unearth a body bag containing the partial remains of Ofir Tsarfati, a 27-year-old Israeli hostage kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attacks and killed in captivity.
Hamas Fake Hostage Remains
The video claims the remains had already been recovered by the Israel Defense Forces nearly two years ago, and that Hamas reburied and later “rediscovered” them to appear compliant with a ceasefire deal that required returning the bodies of 10 hostages.
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Interspersed with the drone footage are clips from a government press briefing announcing the identification of the remains, along with personal photos of Tsarfati, including one of his last birthday celebrations before the abduction.
“This constitutes a clear violation of the Gaza peace agreement,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement accompanying the release. “Hamas has deceived not only Israel, but also our American partners and the international community.”
US-brokered Ceasefire
The video’s publication comes less than two weeks after the US-brokered ceasefire, mediated by President Donald Trump, went into effect.
The truce has already been tested by renewed violence, with Israel launching a wave of airstrikes after accusing Hamas of killing two Israeli soldiers in separate incidents.
At least 18 Palestinians were killed and about 50 others injured in the latest Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip, according to local health officials.
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Washington downplayed the escalation, describing the clashes as “skirmishes” that can occur amid efforts to stabilize a long-term truce after two years of war.
Israel Identify Remains
Israel’s confirmed that the remains returned by Hamas earlier this week were those of Tsarfati, who was already identified and buried after a 2023 recovery mission, rather than one of the 13 hostages still missing in Gaza.
“After completing the identification process this morning, it was found that last night remains belonging to the fallen hostage Ofir Tzarfati, who had been returned from the Gaza Strip in a military operation about two years ago, were returned,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting with his top defense chiefs to discuss possible responses, but no immediate military decisions were announced.
The Trump administration has not yet publicly commented on the video.
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