Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha achieve partial progress

A new round of Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha, Qatar, made progress on certain issues on Thursday, with both Israel and Hamas demonstrating some flexibility during the negotiations, enabling the talks to advance slowly.

A senior Israeli official said on Thursday that Israel and Hamas engaged in difficult and complex negotiations in Doha, suggesting that reaching a ceasefire agreement could take one to two weeks.

If both sides agree to the proposed 60-day truce, negotiations for a permanent ceasefire could continue during this period, the official noted.

On the same day, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that reaching a ceasefire agreement reflects the will of the Israeli government and most of the people, aligning with national interests.

During the talks, the two sides agreed that Hamas will release 10 Israeli hostages in two batches along with the bodies of 18 others, in exchange for Israel's release of some Palestinian prisoners.

The exact number and names of these Palestinian prisoners will be determined in subsequent negotiations, including those who have been sentenced by Israel to life imprisonment or long-term sentences.

The two sides also reached consensus on humanitarian aid issues. In addition to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation backed by the United States and Israel, international organizations including the United Nations have been permitted to resume humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza.

Meanwhile, mediators such as the U.S. and Qatar are working to find solutions to Israel's persistent military presence in the "Morag Corridor," "Philadelphia Corridor," and Rafah in southern Gaza.

Despite some progress in the talks, separate statements issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas on Thursday revealed that significant disagreements persist between the two sides.

Netanyahu, currently visiting the U.S., said in a video address that Israel would be willing to negotiate a permanent ceasefire if a 60-day truce is reached, but only on the condition that Hamas disarms and Gaza is demilitarized.

Hamas condemned Netanyahu's Wednesday statement that a comprehensive ceasefire agreement was "not possible" at this stage, accusing Israel of rejecting its proposed comprehensive agreement while being evasive and creating obstacles.

Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha achieve partial progress

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukraine stands ready to agree to security guarantees based on NATO's Article 5 as part of a compromise in the peace process, according to media reports.

"From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the United States and Europe did not support this direction," the Ukrinform news agency quoted Zelensky.

Zelensky said Article 5-like guarantees from the United States and from European partners, as well as from other countries, "would provide an opportunity to prevent another arrival of Russian troops." He also called it "a compromise on our part."

Zelensky said he was not yet ready to disclose specific details of the proposed security guarantees, saying they would be known in a day or two.

Ukrainian president arrived in Berlin on Sunday afternoon for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders.

German newspaper Bild reported that Zelensky may also hold talks with representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump, but did not elaborate further.

According to Ukrinform, Zelensky said the same day that Ukraine must be prepared for any possible developments regarding elections.

"I asked our partners to assist with the security situation if elections are held, and I said that lawmakers should prepare options for how this could be implemented if the situation develops in that direction. They should work out, in the near future, options for holding elections," he said in a statement in response to journalists' questions.

He said he had received "signals" from the United States and President Trump regarding Ukraine's presidential election.

Ukraine says ready to accept NATO-style security guarantees