Israel said Hamas handed over remains already identified and buried from a previous recovery.
Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the act as a violation of the ongoing truce agreement.
The move has heightened tensions and deepened mistrust in the ceasefire process as efforts continue to locate other deceased hostages.
Israel on Tuesday said that remains handed over by Hamas through the International Committee of the Red Cross were identified as belonging to a hostage whose body had already been recovered and buried last year.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the handover, calling it a “serious breach” of the ceasefire agreement brokered earlier this month. The deal had required Hamas to return the remains of all deceased hostages still held in Gaza. Netanyahu said he would convene senior defence and intelligence officials to assess Israel’s response to what he described as a “provocation in bad faith.”
According to Israeli authorities, the truce, which began on October 10, has seen the release of several living hostages, but the bodies of at least 13 others remain in Gaza. The return of remains already in Israeli custody has added tension to the fragile agreement and further eroded trust between the two sides.
Officials also said efforts were continuing to locate and recover the remaining bodies of Israeli hostages believed to have been killed during the conflict, as humanitarian agencies push both parties to uphold the ceasefire and ensure transparency in future exchanges.
