On May 18, the Israel Defense Forces issued a statement on May 18 local time saying that in the past day, under the command of the Israeli Southern Command, Israeli forces, including active and reserve troops, have launched large-scale ground operations in the northern and southern Gaza Strip as the beginning of the military operation code-named "Gideon Chariots". The statement said that in the past week, the Israeli Air Force launched the first round of airstrikes, hitting more than 670 Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) military targets in the Gaza Strip, including weapons depots, underground infrastructure, anti-tank missile launchers and armed personnel. The statement also said that so far, the Israeli army has killed dozens of armed personnel, dismantled military installations above and below ground, and has been deployed in several key positions in the Gaza Strip.