The IDF denied a Wednesday Army Radio report that alleged the IDF has information that Hamas has been holding the remains of hostage Lt. Hadar Goldin in the same Rafah tunnel from which it is demanding the safe passage of some 150 Hamas terrorists, Army Radio said on Wednesday.
The tunnel is located in Israeli-controlled territory in the Gaza Strip.
According to the report, this is the main reason why the IDF and Israel's leadership have refrained from striking that position.
Goldin was taken captive on August 1, 2014, during Operation Protective Edge. He was working to dismantle a terror tunnel in Rafah when two Hamas terrorists emerged from the tunnel and took him captive.
Hamas to return remains
Hamas is set to return the remains of another Israeli hostage on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m., the terror organization announced in a statement.
Outside of Goldin, the remaining hostages in Gaza are Meny Godard, Ran Gvili, Joshua Loitu Mollel, Dror Or, Lior Rudaeff, and Sudthisak Rinthalak.
On Tuesday, Hamas returned the remains of Staff-Sergeant Itay Chen, while they also returned Col. Asaf Hamami, 40, Capt. Omer Neutra, 21, and St.-Sgt. Oz Daniel, 19, on Sunday.
An October report by The Jerusalem Post disclosed that Hamas has always known where Hamami and Goldin were and had been stalling their return.
This is a developing story.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.