Israel launched ground operations in Gaza, focusing on Rafah, a Hamas stronghold, with the goal of weakening the terror group’s capabilities, officials stated Thursday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the ground operation is underway in the “Shavura” neighborhood, as well as in parts of central and northern Gaza.

“In recent hours, IDF forces began a ground operation in the area of ​​the ‘Shavura’ neighborhood in Rafah,” the IDF posted on X. “During the operation, the forces destroyed several terrorist infrastructures.”

According to the IDF, in recent months, Hamas operatives had been using a site in northern Gaza, formerly the “Turkish” hospital, as a command center to direct and execute attacks against IDF soldiers and Israel.

The IDF responded by working to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure at the location.

Additionally, in the past few hours, the Israeli air force has continued its strikes targeting and dismantling terrorists and terrorist infrastructure throughout Gaza.

Israel resumed its military campaign against Hamas this week following a brief pause, citing the terror group’s repeated rejection of offers to release the remaining hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023.

The IDF also struck a military installation containing an underground terrorist infrastructure in the Beqaa area of Lebanon, in addition to another site with rocket launchers in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah militants are active.

On Thursday night, sirens sounded in several areas after a projectile was launched from Yemen, the IDF reported.

Sen. John Fetterman, who visited Israeli Prime Minister , posted a video on X as the sirens went off.

“Incoming rocket sirens sounding off in Israel,” he wrote. “Imagine living under these conditions. Imagine being the Members of Congress voting against what protects Israel from this.”

The IDF said that a holy site for Christians, Muslims, and Jews also came under fire from Yemen-based, Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea and U.S. naval forces in solidarity with Hamas.

Authorities also announced the deaths of Hamas senior leaders and another from the terror group.