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.

Hamas had said it would return the newly discovered remains on Wednesday, but it was not immediately clear to whom they belonged. Only two hostages are believed to remain in Gaza and the first phase of the deal is supposed to end when both are returned.

The deal calls for the long-closed Rafah crossing to be opened for medical evacuations and travel to and from the strip. The World Health Organisation says there are more than 16,500 sick and wounded people who need to leave Gaza for medical care.

An Israeli official told The Associated Press that Rafah would be open only for Palestinians to exit Gaza, not en

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