Israel says coffin from Hamas did not contain another hostage's body

Israel accuses Hamas of a "clear violation" of the ceasefire deal after tests showed the remains belonged to a person whose body was previously returned.

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Forensic tests showed the remains belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was recovered by Israeli forces in late 2023, and not to any of the 13 deceased hostages still in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

It accused Hamas of a "clear violation" of the two-week-old Gaza ceasefire deal and said Netanyahu would discuss "steps in response".

Israeli media say officials are discussing punitive measures against Hamas for returning only 15 of the 28 deceased hostages.

There was no immediate comment from Hamas.