Israel identified the remains of two hostages Sunday morning after Hamas handed over their bodies to the Red Cross the night before, as the Palestinian group said talks to launch the second phase of ceasefire negotiations have begun.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the bodies belonged to Ronen Engel, a father of three from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai agricultural worker killed at Kibbutz Be'eri. Both were believed to have been killed during the Oct. 7 attack and their bodies were taken to Gaza. Engel's wife, Karina, and two of his three children were kidnapped and released in a ceasefire in November 2023.

Meanwhile, Israel threatened to keep the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt closed “until further notice.” The statement by Netanyahu’s

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