TEL AVIV, September 12. /TASS/. Since the beginning of the week, the Israeli military has struck more than 500 targets in the Gaza Strip, the army press service reported.

According to the statement, five waves of strikes were carried out as part of Operation Gideon's Chariots 2, aimed at establishing control over Gaza City. The targets were located in the Daraj Tuffah, al-Furqan, and al-Shati areas.

The IDF said it struck "terrorist infrastructure and high-rise structures that had been converted into military infrastructure" by Hamas. "As part of the strikes, the IDF dismantled observation and sniper positions, structures containing operational tunnel shafts, weapons storage facilities, and other terrorist infrastructure belonging to Hamas," the statement reads.

The army emphasized that before launching the strikes, its troops took measures to minimize the risk of harming civilians in Gaza.

It also vowed to step up its offensive against radical positions in the enclave. "The IDF will continue to intensify the pace of targeted strikes, based on precise intelligence, in order to damage Hamas’ terrorist infrastructure, disrupt its operational readiness, and reduce the threat to our troops as part of preparations for the next stages of the operation," the press service concluded.