“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 bur

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