Israel on Wednesday said that the partial remains handed over by Palestinian militants do not match the two hostages still unaccounted for in Gaza, even as it moved ahead with plans to reopen the Rafah border crossing for the exit of Palestinians from the strip.

The uncertainty over the missing remains of two hostages threatens to slow the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Yet by signalling the reopening of Rafah, Israel indicated that some parts of the US-backed plan are progressing.

The first phase is supposed to end with the return of the two remaining hostages. Militants, who say they are struggling to find the remains amid the destruction in Gaza, continued their search on Wednesday.

The 20-point plan that follows calls for an international stabilisation force, a technocratic Palestinian government, and the disarmament of Hamas.

The World Health Organisation estimates that more than 16,500 sick and wounded people in Gaza need to leave the territory for medical treatment.

The two hostages whose bodies are still missing are Israeli police officer Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak. On Wednesday, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office said forensic testing showed that “the remains returned on Tuesday did not match either.”

Saraya al-Quds, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said its fighters moved again on Wednesday morning to search in northern Gaza. The group wrote on its Telegram channel that militants were accompanied by Red Cross workers.

Gvili had helped people escape from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, before being killed while fighting at another site. His death was confirmed four months later. He is survived by his parents and a sister.

Sudthisak Rinthalak was an agricultural worker at Kibbutz Be’eri. He had been working in Israel since 2017, according to media reports.

Thailand saw 31 of its citizens abducted during the October 7 attacks, the largest group of foreign nationals taken hostage. Most were released during the earlier ceasefires. The Thai Foreign Ministry says 46 Thai nationals have been killed during the war.

Hamas has not commented on the latest handover or the announcement that the remains were not those of the two missing hostages.

Since the ceasefire began in early October, Israel has received 20 living hostages and the remains of 26 others. Israel and Hamas have continued accusing each other of violating the terms of the truce.

COGAT, the Israeli military body coordinating aid to Gaza, announced that Rafah would open in the coming days for the exit of Palestinians, coordinated with Egypt and supervised by a European Union mission.

“Those wishing to leave Gaza will require ‘Israeli security approval,’” COGAT said. The ceasefire agreement includes provisions for medical evacuations and controlled movement through Rafah.

An Israeli official, speaking anonymously on operational matters, said that all Palestinians who want to leave would be able to do so “as long as Egypt agrees to receive them.”

The official added that the European Union still needed to adjust logistics before the crossing could open.

Rafah was sealed in May 2024 after Israeli forces entered the area. It briefly reopened in February this year to allow evacuation of sick and wounded Palestinians under a previous ceasefire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday appointed an envoy for discussions with Lebanese diplomatic and economic officials.

His office described the appointment as “the first attempt to create a basis for relations and economic cooperation.”

Israeli media identified the envoy as Uri Resnick, a former diplomat who now serves as deputy director for foreign policy in the National Security Council.

Israel and Lebanon remain in a formal state of war dating back to 1948. Israel and Hezbollah fought a months-long conflict that ended in a tenuous ceasefire a year ago.

The return of Palestinian bodies has been central to the first stage of the US-brokered plan. The agreement requires Hamas to hand over the remains of all hostages quickly.

Without confirmation of the missing hostages’ bodies, Israel was expected to delay releasing more Palestinian bodies on Wednesday.

As part of the deal, Israel has been releasing 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage. Gaza’s Health Ministry says it has received 330 remains, though it has been able to identify only a fraction because of the lack of DNA testing kits.

Despite the exchanges continuing, both Israel and Hamas have said the other side has breached parts of the agreement. Israeli officials have accused Hamas of returning partial remains or staging the discovery of bodies.

Hamas has accused Israel of firing on civilians and limiting humanitarian aid. Casualties have fallen since the ceasefire began, but officials in Gaza continue to report deaths from strikes, while Israel reports soldiers killed in militant attacks.

The war began after the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 70,100 Palestinians have been killed. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says roughly half the dead are women and children.