The Abu Kabir Forensic Institute confirmed Sunday it had received the remains believed to be those of Israeli soldiers killed during the Second Lebanon War .The identification process, said the institute, may take several days.
Sunday afternoon saw Hizbullah turnover remains they claimed belong to several Israeli soldiers. The body parts' transfer was completed shortly after 3 pm, at which time the remains were taken in for identification.
The IDF confirmed recently that 20 of the war's fatalities were not buried intact. DNA samples were taken form all of the fallen and the military has precise documentation of the body parts missing. The parts retrieved will undergo DNA testing in order to see if any of them match the IDF's lists.
According to the IDF, the remains returned by Hizbullah most likely belong to several soldiers who were killed in the early days of the fighting.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to arrive in Jerusalem on Monday. Steinmeier is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni andreport on the results of his meeting with Lebanese PrimeMinister Fouad Siniora in Beirut, Sunday.
Stepping out of the meeting, the German FM sounded cautiously optimistic: "I hope this is a step in the direction of a prisoner exchange... I am happy that preliminary steps were taken in that direction and hope that this creates a positive dynamic, building mutual trust. Quick progress will be in the interest of the victims and concerned parties," he said.
Germany is acting as mediator in negotiations between Hizbullah and Israel on a prisoner exchange.
Roni Sofer contributed to this report