JERUSALEM/GAZA - The Israeli military said on Thursday its forces had begun ground operations in northern Gaza, while Hamas' armed wing claimed responsibility for rocket attacks on central Israel, including Tel Aviv, escalating hostilities as a weeks-long ceasefire collapses.

Israeli troops began what the military described as "ground activity" overnight in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza, near the coastal border. Images released by the military showed soldiers and armored vehicles advancing, though it did not specify the scale or duration of the operation.

ALSO READ: Israel urged to renounce 'obsession with use of force'

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

Shortly after the military's announcement, air raid sirens sounded in central and southern Israel on Thursday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) 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' Al-Qassam Brigades said it had launched a rocket barrage at Tel Aviv in retaliation for what it called Israel's "massacres against civilians."

Israel resumed strikes in Gaza on Tuesday after a ceasefire that began on Jan 19 unraveled, with officials stating the renewed campaign targets Hamas militants.

ALSO READ: European countries slam deadly Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, call for ceasefire

Gaza health authorities reported over 470 Palestinian deaths since Tuesday. Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defense, said on Thursday that at least 71 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli airstrikes on residential areas since dawn, accusing Israel of targeting civilians. 

"The Gaza Strip is no longer safe amid ongoing violent airstrikes," Basal said, expecting the casualty to rise as search efforts continue under challenging conditions due to the lack of heavy recovery equipment.

The airstrikes targeted several areas, including Bani Suhaila, Abasan al-Kabira, and al-Fakhari east of Khan Younis, as well as Rafah in the south and Gaza City and Beit Lahia in the north.

Security sources and local eyewitnesses said that 19 homes were completely destroyed, along with tents sheltering displaced people, aid warehouses, and mosques.

ALSO READ: Israel expresses 'sorrow' over UN staffer's death in Gaza strikes

Meanwhile, Hebrew public radio reported that the Israeli army struck approximately 20 targets in Gaza in recent hours, while artillery shelling continues east of Khan Younis, particularly in Abasan al-Kabira and central and eastern Gaza.

The IDF and Israeli Security Agency continued extensive strikes throughout the Gaza Strip to "remove any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel," the IDF said in a statement.