The remains returned by Hamas on Monday night belong to deceased hostage Ofir Tzarfati, the Prime Minister's Office confirmed on Tuesday.
Tzarfati was pronounced dead after his remains were returned to Israel during an IDF and Shin Bet operation in December 2023. Additional remains of Tzarfati were brought to Israel in March 2024.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a meeting today to discuss Israel's response. Certain measures Israel may take were discussed with American officials in recent days.
"This cannot go without a response," an Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post.
The remains were transferred into Israeli territory by the IDF on Monday evening and arrived at the National Institute for Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir at approximately midnight.
A member of Hamas's Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades told Al Jazeera earlier in the day that the remains had been discovered during excavation efforts in the Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City. The Gaza City area is currently on the Hamas side of the Yellow Line as dictated by the ceasefire deal.
Hamas claims excavation of remains underway
"We are committed to the ceasefire agreement and the handover of the bodies of Israeli prisoners," Hamas said in a statement, stating that the organization is currently conducting excavations in several areas within the Gaza Strip.
"The Netanyahu government threatens our people in the Gaza Strip and seeks to implement its plan to destroy the Strip and displace its people."
Separately, Hamas told Arab mediators that it was working to excavate the remains of between seven and nine slain hostages from the Gaza Strip, Saudi network Asharq News reported on Monday.
The handover occurred several hours before the 48-hour deadline set by US President Donald Trump to speed up the return of hostages' remains.
"Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly," he wrote.
"Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely," he affirmed.
This is a developing story. Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.