A Hamas source on Saturday afternoon told Al Jazeera that the body of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin has been found near Rafah.
According to the source, the bodies of six dead terrorists were also found at the site.
Goldin was killed during 2014's Operation Protective Edge, and his body was kidnapped by Hamas.
In their report, Al Jazeera shared a video showing the discovery of Goldin's body and the labeling of a body bag.
The Goldin family responded: "An entire nation is waiting for Hadar to be returned to us. This is a mission that must and can be accomplished, for all of us. The IDF Chief of Staff came after the conclusion of Shabbat to update us on the tremendous efforts underway to secure the release of the hostages, and we salute everyone involved in this national mission. We are awaiting official confirmation that Hadar has returned to Israel. In this country, we never give up on anyone, ever. We ask everyone to remain calm. Until it is final, it is not over."
On Wednesday, a Galei Zahal report cited Israeli officials as saying that Goldin's body is being held in a tunnel in the Janina neighborhood of eastern Rafah, where 150 Hamas terrorists are currently entrenched.
According to the report, the officials explained that Israel is avoiding striking the tunnel from the air or the ground due to a fear that it would make the return of Goldin's body to Israel impossible.
The IDF later clarified that there is no information in the IDF’s possession indicating that Hadar Goldin’s body is located in a tunnel where Hamas terrorists are present in the Rafah area.
"These are false claims that cause harm to the family," the IDF noted.
"The IDF urges the public to rely solely on announcements from official sources and to refrain from spreading unverified rumors, which harm the families of the hostages and the public. Efforts for the return of the deceased hostages are ongoing at all times," the military added.