JERUSALEM — Israel received remains in Gaza on Wednesday of a possible hostage and said it will begin allowing Palestinians to leave the war-torn territory through a border crossing with Egypt.

Once the remains found by militants and handed over by the Red Cross 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 in October. In exchange, Israel has been releasing Palestinian prisoners.

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

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