TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel has completed the identification of the bodies of two more hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Wednesday, as U.S. Vice President JD Vance sounded a buoyant note about progress in Gaza’s fragile ceasefire during a visit to Israel.

Authorities identified the deceased hostages as Arie Zalmanovich and Tamir Adar. Their bodies were transported in coffins by the Red Cross and handed over to the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip. A military ceremony attended by the chief rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces was planned for later in the day, Netanyahu’s office said.

The two were killed in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants, which triggered the two-year war.

Since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, the remains of 15

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