Israel carries out further airstrikes in southern Gaza as four IDF soldiers injured in attack

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) said that it encountered "several terrorists" in eastern Rafah on Wednesday who emerged "from an underground terrorist infrastructure".

It says that this is a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

Four IDF soldiers were injured and evacuated to hospital to receive treatment.

Also on Wednesday, Hamas handed over the remains of a hostage as Israel announced it would start letting Palestinians leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.

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The casket containing the remains was brought into Israel by IDF troops and was taken to National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification.

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 enter. Egypt, which controls the other side, said the crossing would open only if movement goes both ways.

Following the exchanges, the 20-point plan calls for creating an international stabilisation force, forming a technocratic Palestinian government and disarming Hamas.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said forensic testing had revealed the partial remains returned by militants on Tuesday did not match either of the hostages still in Gaza.

Palestinian militants began searching again and said later on Wednesday they had found a hostage body in northern Gaza.

With the remains of two hostages, one Israeli and one Thai national, remaining in Gaza, the sides are close to wrapping up the first phase of the ceasefire.

Twenty living hostages and the remains of 26 others have been returned to Israel since the ceasefire began in early October.

The returns are a key part of the terms of a shaky agreement, which both Hamas and Israel have accused the other of breaking.

The two hostages remaining in Gaza are Ran Gvili and Sudthisak Rinthalak.

Mr Gvili helped people escape from the Nova music festival on October 7 2023 and was killed fighting at another location. The military confirmed his death four months later. He is survived by his parents and a sister.

Sudthisak Rinthalak was an agricultural worker from Thailand who had been employed at Kibbutz Be'eri, one of the hardest-hit communities in the attack. According to media reports, Mr Sudthisak had been working in Israel since 2017.