JERUSALEM / GAZA - Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday warned Hamas to accept the Gaza ceasefire deal proposed by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, "or be destroyed."

Witkoff's proposal includes the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 bodies in two phases in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza as well as the release by Israel of 1,236 Palestinian detainees and prisoners, along with the bodies of 180 Palestinians, according to media reports.

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In a statement issued by his office, Katz said the Israeli military continued its operations in Gaza with full force, carrying out attacks by air, land, and sea on an unprecedented scale "for maximum protection of our soldiers in preparation for the entry of the maneuvering forces in each area."

In a statement issued on Friday, the Israeli military said that since Thursday, its air force, alongside ground forces, had struck dozens of targets across the Gaza Strip, which "eliminated terrorists, dismantled weapons, terrorist infrastructure, and underground infrastructure sites."

It added that during the military operations, two rocket-propelled grenades were fired at Israeli troops, lightly wounding three soldiers.

Of the 251 hostages seized during the October 2023 Hamas attack, 57 remain in Gaza, of whom 34 are believed to be dead, according to the Israeli military.

Consulting with Palestinian factions

Hamas said on Friday that it is consulting with Palestinian forces and factions regarding the Gaza ceasefire proposal put forward by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

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A source from the movement, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the consultations aim to examine the details of the proposal and ensure its compatibility with Palestinian interests ahead of determining a final position.

Israeli airstrike

At least 14 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday, according to Palestinian security and medical sources.

Medical sources told Xinhua that the casualties included women and children, and that all the wounded were taken to hospital.

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In a statement, the Israeli army said its forces had continued operations across the Strip over the past 24 hours, targeting "terrorists, military buildings, observation and sniper positions that posed a threat to the forces, underground infrastructure, and other terrorist structures."

Israel to ban Arab foreign ministers' entry

Israel has decided to ban the entry of foreign ministers from Arab countries who planned to visit Ramallah in the West Bank on Sunday for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel's state-run Kan TV News reported on Friday night.

Israeli Foreign Ministry officials were quoted as saying that the planned visit by foreign ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates was "a defiant act" intended to advance discussions on the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The officials noted that the Palestinian Authority still refused to condemn the Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel. "Israel will not cooperate with moves aimed at harming it and its security," the officials were quoted as saying.  

READ MORE: Hamas says reached agreement with US envoy over Gaza ceasefire framework

80 arrested in West Bank

Israeli forces arrested 80 people across the occupied West Bank over the past week, the military said on Friday, as tensions continue to rise in the territory amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the operations also led to the seizure of seven weapons and more than 7 million shekels (around $2 million), which it described as "funds intended for terrorist activities."