The bodies of 13 deceased hostages are believed to still be in Gaza.
U.S. officials -- including Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner -- traveled to Israel this week for high-level meetings, discussing the next steps in the delicate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Israel has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire deal by withholding the bodies of the remaining 13 deceased hostages thought to have died during or after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas has said the return of the remaining bodies "may take some time" due to the destruction.
Israel is preparing to receive the remains of more hostages on Wednesday, two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
The sources did not say how many bodies Israel is expecting to receive.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Dana Savir
At least 25 Palestinians were killed due to Israeli attacks in Gaza in the last 24 hours, including 16 bodies that were recovered from under the rubble, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported Wednesday.
"A number of victims remain trapped under the rubble and on the roads, as ambulance and civil defense teams are still unable to reach them," the ministry said.
At least 67,938 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war, the ministry said.
-ABC News' Samy Zyara
Israel says that one of the four bodies handed over by Hamas "does not match any of the hostages," according to a statement from the IDF.
"Following the completion of examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages," the IDF said. "Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages.”
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza remained closed on Wednesday, Israel said, as the delicate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continued to take hold.
"The defense establishment clarifies that, contrary to reports, the Rafah Crossing did not open today," an Israeli security official told ABC News. "Preparations are ongoing for its opening for the exit and entry of Gazans only."
Aid for Palestinians in the enclave is traveling through other crossings, including the Kerem Shalom crossing, the official said. Israeli security forces are inspecting aid before it enters the strip, the official said.
International aid groups, including the U.N.'s agency for Palestinian refugees, have urged Israel to let more aid into Gaza.
"We have enough food for the entire population for 3 months waiting in Egypt and Jordan," UNWRA said in a statement on Tuesday. "There’s no more time to lose -- we need a green light to start bringing in UNRWA’s supplies immediately so our teams can deliver them to people in need."
-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Kevin Shalvey
