The mother of Ofir Tzarfati, an Israeli hostage who was kidnapped and killed during the October 7 Hamas-led attack on the Nova music festival, condemned the group Tuesday after learning that additional remains of her son were returned to Israel—nearly two years after his initial burial.
“What Hamas did to us is a punch to the gut, a punch to the heart,” said Racheli Tzarfati. “We’ve already held two funerals for Ofir. Now we’ll have to hold a third and reopen his grave. This is a cycle that just won’t close.”
Tzarfati’s remains were originally recovered in a military operation several months after he was abducted and murdered. But on Monday, a coffin delivered by Hamas and believed to contain one of 13 remaining hostages held dead in Gaza was found to contain additional body parts belonging to Tzarfati.
The family, unaware that not all of his remains had previously been returned, was shaken by the discovery. “We were told the coffin included bones and remains that belong to Ofir,” his mother said. “As far as we knew, we had buried our son in full. Hamas is using us for manipulative, vile theater.”
The IDF later confirmed that a drone had filmed Hamas terrorists staging the handover of the remains. In the footage, the operatives are seen removing a body from a nearby apartment, burying it in a pit with sand and later summoning Red Cross personnel to the site to give the appearance of a spontaneous discovery.
Tzarafti’s family was shown the footage Tuesday morning. “We went to bed hoping another family would finally get closure,” the family said in a statement, “but we woke to find ourselves being used in yet another deception. It’s a grotesque manipulation meant to sabotage the deal and abandon the hostages.”
Remains of Israeli hostage handed over to Red Cross teams
Racheli said the IDF called to inform them of the updated identification. “We cried when we heard. You can’t be immune to something like this,” she said. “Getting my son back in installments—this is a wound that reopens each time. We will hold another ceremony, though we’re not yet sure what form it will take. Ofir deserves a final, dignified rest. We hope this will be the last time we reopen his grave.”
Despite the anguish, she expressed a measure of solace. “There is comfort in knowing that the rest of his remains will be brought home for burial and not left in that place of evil and cruelty.”
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Tuesday that the remains returned the previous night were identified as belonging to Tzarfati. “This constitutes a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Hamas terrorist organization,” the statement said.
Ofir Tzarfati, 27, from Kiryat Ata, was killed after heroically helping others escape the Nova festival during the Hamas-led assault on October 7. He had been celebrating his birthday with his partner and friends when the attack began. He ushered others into escape vehicles but was unable to get into one himself and was captured and killed. His death was confirmed three weeks later, and his body was returned in a military operation about two months after the attack.
Kiryat Ata Mayor Yaakov Peretz expressed solidarity with the family Tuesday, saying the city “embraces the Tzarfati family and stands with them during this time of pain and turmoil.” He pledged municipal support.
Tzarfati had tried to escape with two young women, Romi Gonen and Gaya Khalifa, who were also shot during the attack. Romi was taken into Gaza while seriously wounded and was returned months later as part of a hostage deal. Her return deeply moved the Tzarfati family. “I envy the families who get to hug their loved ones again,” Racheli said in January.
Ofir’s sister, Shoval, recalled the lead-up to Romi’s release. “It was clear she was coming home. That day was incredibly emotional,” she said. “We were so happy for her and her family. They fought with everything they had to bring her back.”