TEL AVIV, May 31. /TASS/. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has threatened the Palestinian radical movement Hamas to be destroyed in case of rejection of the plan proposed by US President’s special envoy Steven Witkoff.

"The Hamas murderers must now choose: accept the terms of the ‘Witkoff deal’ for the release of the hostages, or be destroyed," Katz said on his X page. "The IDF continues its operation in Gaza with full force, striking and dismantling Hamas strongholds, while evacuating the local population from all combat zones and attacking the area from the air, land and sea at an unprecedented scale to ensure maximum protection for our soldiers," he added. "After eliminating the terrorists and clearing the area, the IDF will remove all threats according to the Rafah model, and remain to hold the area," Katz noted.

Hamas confirmed on Friday that it was holding consultations on the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal.

The Ynet news website said earlier that the new proposal for a 60-day ceasefire suggested that the radical Palestinian movement Hamas should release ten living Israeli hostages and hand the bodies of 18 deceased captives over to Israel. The newspaper also mentioned other details of Witkoff’s plan. In particular, US President Donald Trump will guarantee Israel’s adherence to the ceasefire during the 60-day period. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will suspend its ground operation. In addition, Israeli warplanes will not carry out flights over Gaza for 10-12 hours daily. Besides, humanitarian aid supplies to the Gaza Strip will be significantly expanded.