Israel warns Hamas to accept US envoy's Gaza ceasefire deal "or be destroyed"

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday warned Hamas to accept the Gaza ceasefire deal proposed by U.S. 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.

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, adding

After "eliminating the terrorists and clearing the area", the Israeli military will remain to hold the area, said Katz, adding the move aims to achieve the country's goals of releasing hostages and defeating Hamas.

A Hamas official said that they received a response from Israel to the proposal put forward by the United States, but the response does not meet their demands.

Israel warns Hamas to accept US envoy's Gaza ceasefire deal "or be destroyed"

Israel warns Hamas to accept US envoy's Gaza ceasefire deal "or be destroyed"

Israel warns Hamas to accept US envoy's Gaza ceasefire deal "or be destroyed"

Israel warns Hamas to accept US envoy's Gaza ceasefire deal "or be destroyed"

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation