ISRAEL — Newly released drone footage from Gaza has exposed a staged deception by Hamas terrorists, who were caught burying and then theatrically “recovering” the body of Israeli hostage Ofir Tzarfati in what Israeli officials called a cynical attempt to mislead the Red Cross and fabricate a humanitarian gesture.

The footage, verified by the Israel Defense Forces, shows Hamas operatives carrying a body bag from a building, placing it in a shallow grave, and then digging it up moments later as Red Cross officials arrive — pretending to have just discovered the remains. One militant is seen filming the entire scene on a phone while another operates an excavator, piling dirt over the bag again to stage multiple takes of the “recovery.”

Israel confirmed that the remains indeed belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, whose body was already recovered in December 2023. The newly surfaced footage, therefore, reveals a deliberate disinformation campaign by Hamas aimed at portraying itself as a humanitarian actor amid international scrutiny.

“This footage unmasks the grotesque cynicism of Hamas — exploiting both hostages and humanitarian agencies to manipulate global perception,” an Israeli defense source said, calling it “yet another example of Hamas weaponizing propaganda over truth.”

In response to the exposure, Hamas issued a statement accusing Israel of “obstructing recovery operations” and “fabricating false pretexts,” claiming that Israeli authorities had blocked Red Cross-led efforts to locate bodies in Gaza. The militant group further alleged that Israel’s claims were meant to justify “new aggressive steps” in violation of the ceasefire.

Analysts in Jerusalem dismissed the statement as an attempt to deflect blame and salvage credibility after the viral footage contradicted Hamas’s narrative. The revelation reinforces Israel’s longstanding assertion that Hamas systematically manipulates humanitarian channels, including the Red Cross, for propaganda and cover operations.

The Israeli government emphasized that this incident underscores why Hamas cannot be trusted as a legitimate negotiating partner and why international aid operations in Gaza must proceed under direct oversight to prevent further abuses.

Officials added that the exposure of such fabricated scenes highlights the ongoing battle for truth amid the broader information war surrounding the Gaza conflict.