(MENAFN) Israeli authorities have confirmed that a coffin delivered by Hamas on Monday contained remains of a previously returned hostage, not one of the 13 deceased hostages still in Gaza, according to reports.

Forensic analysis revealed that the remains belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body had been recovered by Israeli forces in late 2023. Israel accused Hamas of a “clear violation” of the two-week-old Gaza ceasefire agreement, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to discuss potential responses with security officials.

Israeli media report that officials are considering punitive measures against Hamas for returning only 15 of the 28 deceased hostages. Hamas has not immediately commented, though it has stated that it is committed to the ceasefire brokered by the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, while requesting assistance in locating bodies buried under war-damaged areas.

Earlier on Monday, Hamas’s military wing announced it would transfer the body of an Israeli hostage to the Red Cross, which, along with Egyptian personnel, was permitted to enter IDF-controlled areas in Gaza to assist in recovery efforts. Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian confirmed that the operation included close supervision and the use of heavy equipment to recover remains.

Since the ceasefire on October 10, all 20 living Israeli hostages were released in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza. Israel has returned 195 Palestinian bodies in exchange for the 13 Israeli hostages previously recovered and two foreign hostages.

Eleven of the dead hostages still in Gaza are Israelis, with one Tanzanian and one Thai national.

Families of Israeli hostages have urged immediate action to ensure Hamas fulfills its obligations before proceeding to the next stage of negotiations, with US mediators reportedly preparing to advance portions of the peace plan. Hamas negotiators have said that locating all bodies is complicated due to changes in Gaza’s terrain and the deaths of individuals who buried them.

Most of the deceased hostages remaining in Gaza were among 251 people abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which also killed approximately 1,200 people. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has resulted in over 68,500 deaths, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

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