But CNN cannot independently verify his claims: Israel has barred foreign journalists from entering Gaza independently and our only access is via embeds with the Israeli military. The area was seized by the Israeli military, which says it has uncovered dozens of tunnel shafts as well as rocket launchers used to fire rockets into Israel. He won’t say exactly how long Israeli forces will need to occupy this corridor, but says it could be weeks or months. Jeremy Diamond/CNNHagari also says Israeli forces killed more than 900 Hamas fighters in Rafah and are close to defeating Hamas’s Rafah brigade. As for the Rafah ground operation, Hagari cannot say whether it will be the last in Gaza.

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