Xinhua Agency, Jerusalem, October 15 (Reporters Feng Guorui and Chen Junqing) The Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued a statement on the evening of the 15th, saying that the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) handed over the remains of two detainees to Israel that night. According to Israeli media reports, the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire negotiations has not yet begun because Hamas has not returned the remains of all detainees.

The statement said that the ICRC received the coffin from Hamas in the Gaza Strip and subsequently handed over to the Israeli military.

The Israeli army said that the two bodies have been sent to a forensic research institute in Tel Aviv for identification, and the process is expected to take up to two days. After the identification is completed, the Israeli government will formally inform the families of the deceased of the results.

Hamas has handed over 10 bodies to Israel so far, but it has been confirmed that one of them is not an Israeli detainee.

Under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Israel and Hamas began exchanges on the 13th.Hamas released 20 surviving Israeli detainees and handed over four bodies on the same day; Israel released 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Several Israeli media outlets on Friday cited Israeli officials as saying that the second phase of Gaza ceasefire negotiations had not yet begun as Hamas failed to return all the remains of the detainees.

The Prime Minister¡¯s Office said earlier that Hamas must fulfill its commitment to the mediator to return the bodies of all detainees to Israel as part of the implementation of the agreement.

Hamas said earlier that finding the remains of the detainees faced difficulties and took time, because some of the remains were buried under the ruins of the buildings and the ground under Israeli airstrikes, and some of the remains were located in the Israeli control zone.

Several media reported on the 15th that the Rafah port connecting the Gaza Strip and Egypt is scheduled to reopen on the 16th and will be supervised by the EU aid mission. The port will be open to both people and vehicles.