JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Wednesday it was prepared to receive remains from Gaza handed over by militants to the Red Cross and that it will begin allowing Palestinians to leave the war-torn territory through a border crossing with Egypt.

Once the remains are returned to Israel, they will be examined by forensics experts to determine whether they belong to either of the two last hostages in Gaza. Remains militants handed over on Tuesday did not match any of the hostages.

The return of all the hostages taken on the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that started the war is a key element of the first phase of the ceasefire that began last month. In exchange, Israel has been releasing Palestinian prisoners.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, the long-closed Rafah crossing is to be opened for medical ev

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