Hamas terrorists released overnight Monday additional remains of an Israeli hostage whose body had already been retrieved for burial, in violation of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip.

“Following the completion of the identification process this morning, it was found that last night, remains belonging to the deceased hostage Ofir Tzarfati, of blessed memory, were returned from Gaza,” Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office stated, adding that Tzarfati’s family had been notified.

Tzarfati’s body was retrieved from Gaza as part of an Israeli military operation in December 2023, the PMO noted, adding that Hamas’s refusal to return a 16th hostage body “constitutes a clear violation of the agreement by the Hamas terrorist organization.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to hold a discussion with the heads of Israel’s defense establishment on Tuesday, “during which Israel’s response to these violations will be discussed,” it added.

Ynet reported that Israel was examining several potential responses to Hamas’s violations, including expanding the Israeli military’s control of Gaza territory.

In a statement shared by Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Tuesday afternoon, Tzarfati’s family said it was shown “video footage of our beloved son’s remains being removed, buried and handed over to the Red Cross—an abhorrent manipulation designed to sabotage the deal and abandon the effort to bring all the hostages home.”

They went on to state that “we went to sleep last night with anticipation and hope that another family would close an agonizing two-year circle and bring their loved one home for burial, but once again, deception has been inflicted upon our family as we try to heal.

“This is the third time we have been forced to open Ofir’s grave and rebury our son. The circle supposedly ‘closed’ back in December 2023, but it never truly closes. Since then, we have lived with a wound that constantly reopens, between memory and longing, between bereavement and mission,” the family added.

Israel said shortly before midnight on Monday that its forces had escorted a coffin across the border into the Jewish state and that the remains were on the way to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification.

Earlier in the evening, the Jewish state confirmed that the International Committee of the Red Cross had retrieved a body from Gaza.

“Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages,” the Israeli military said.

In the past, the Hamas terror organization has returned remains that it said were those of deceased hostages, but which turned out not to be.

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