'There Is No Pain Like This': Grieving Israeli Family Buries Hostage Son For Third Time

“There is no mother in the world who should stand three times over the open grave of her son.” These were the heartbreaking words of Richelle Tzarfati on Thursday, as her family laid to rest the remains

of her son, Ofir Tzarfati, for the third time in less than two years.

Ofir, a 27-year-old Israeli, was among the hundreds abducted from the Nova music festival during the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023. He was taken to Gaza, where he died early in captivity. His story has since become a symbol of the anguish felt by the families of Israel’s hostages — an ordeal that, for the Tzarfati family, refuses to end.

Israeli troops recovered some of Ofir’s remains in December 2023, allowing the family to hold a funeral. More remains were found and returned in March 2024, leading to a second burial. But this week, their grief deepened once again.

According to Israeli officials, Hamas handed over what was supposed to be the body of another hostage under a recent Gaza ceasefire arrangement. Forensic tests later revealed that the remains were, in fact, Ofir’s — marking the third time his family would have to say goodbye.

The Israeli military released footage showing Hamas operatives burying a shrouded body before inviting Red Cross representatives to witness its “discovery”. Israel accused Hamas of deceiving mediators and violating the ceasefire terms, while the International Committee of the Red Cross condemned the act as “unacceptable”.

At Thursday’s funeral in Kiryat-Ata, near Haifa, Richelle’s anguish was raw. “Once again, I have to say goodbye. For the third time. The third time, Ofir. There is no human pain in this world that can compare to such a thing,” she said.

The the slain hostage’s mother further added, “My heart no longer knows how to hold this. Each time, it tears apart again, as if two years haven’t passed. As if it’s happening again. And the soul screams, because there’s nowhere to escape from this pain.”

“The ones who did this, the ones who kidnapped, who desecrated, who keep lying again and again to the world, they didn’t just murder Ofir, they continue to trample on his memory, to use bodies to play games, as if what they have already taken from us isn’t enough.”

(With inputs from AFP)