"The murderers in Hamas will now be forced to choose: accept the terms of the 'Witkoff agreement' for the release of the hostages – or be annihilated", says Katz in a statement on X.
But a high-ranking Hamas official tells BBC that the latest proposal for a new ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages will be rejected.
No final answer
On Thursday, US envoy Steve Witkoff proposed that ten living hostages and the bodies of 18 deceased would be released by Hamas in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire. A certain number of imprisoned Palestinians would also be released by Israel.
Israel has, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US, approved the proposal, while Hamas has said that it does not meet the movement's demands.
Hamas has yet to provide a formal final answer to the proposal, which would also mean that aid would return to being handled by the UN instead of the controversial new US- and Israel-supported foundation GHF, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Undiminished strength
Israel Katz says, among other things, that the expanded ground offensive in Gaza with undiminished strength, in combination with airstrikes and the evacuation of the population from combat zones.
"In this way, we will achieve the war's goal: the release of all hostages while we crush and defeat Hamas".
Since Israel unilaterally broke a ceasefire with Hamas on March 18, nearly 4,000 people are reported to have been killed in Gaza.
