Netanyahu heads to Washington, says trip "great opportunity" to expand Mideast peace

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  • Netanyahu heads to Washington, says trip "great opportunity" to expand Mideast peace

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for an official visit to Washington on Sunday, calling the trip a "great opportunity" to expand the circle of peace in the Middle East.

Speaking before boarding his flight, Netanyahu said there were new prospects for Israel to reach normalization agreements with Arab countries "far beyond what they could previously imagine." Netanyahu has made expanding normalization efforts a central goal of his foreign policy.

Earlier on Sunday, an Israeli delegation was sent to Qatar to resume indirect negotiations with Hamas over a ceasefire-for-hostages deal, according to an Israeli official. Netanyahu said the delegation had received "clear instructions" to work toward a ceasefire under terms already accepted by Israel.

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