Israel expands Gaza ground operation amid rising tensions

The Israeli military said on Thursday that its troops were expanding their ground operation in southern Gaza, advancing into the Shabura refugee camp in Rafah City.

"Troops began conducting ground activity in the area of Shabura in Rafah," the military said in a statement, adding that they had "dismantled a number of terrorist infrastructure sites" in the area.

Meanwhile, Israeli ground troops continued operations in northern and central Gaza after the military urged residents to avoid Salah al-Din Road, the main north-south route in the enclave, and instead travel along the coast.

Israeli forces also targeted the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, which had already ceased operations due to fuel shortages and previous strikes. The military claimed the site was being used by Hamas as a command and control center to direct attacks against Israeli forces and targets.

Israel's expanded offensive follows a "targeted ground operation" launched Wednesday in central and southern Gaza, aimed at establishing a "buffer zone" to separate the northern and southern parts of the enclave, according to the Israeli authorities.

Shortly after the military's announcement, air raid sirens sounded in central and southern Israel on Thursday. The Israel Defense Forces said three rockets were fired from southern Gaza, with one intercepted and the others landing in open areas. Loud explosions were reported in Tel Aviv, though no casualties were immediately confirmed.

Hamas' armed wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for the rocket barrage, calling it retaliation for Israel's "massacres against civilians."

The UN agency for Palestine refugees warned Thursday that "the worst is yet to come, given the ongoing ground invasion (in Gaza)."

"Evacuation orders forcing people to flee were issued, impacting tens of thousands. The vast majority have already been displaced," Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, said on social media platform X.

He said there is "an endless unleashing of the most inhumane ordeals" in Gaza, highlighting Israel's continued blockade of aid and the tightened siege on the war-torn enclave.

Israel resumed strikes in Gaza on Tuesday after a ceasefire that began on January 19 unraveled. The Hamas-run Gaza media office said in a statement on Thursday that the death toll from the renewed Israeli strikes in Gaza has risen to 591, with 1,042 others wounded.