Axios: Hegseth Holds Unannounced Meeting With Netanyahu During Israel Visit

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

Reuters said it could not immediately independently verify the visit. The Pentagon declined to comment, while the Israeli Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The reported trip came a day after US President Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s parliamentary election next week. The vote will be the country’s first since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, which shook Israel and triggered a wider regional conflict, with Israel launching military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Opinion polls suggest Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition could lose its governing majority. However, opposition parties may also face difficulties forming a government, leaving the election outcome uncertain.

US Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, declined to endorse Netanyahu in an interview on Monday, saying he did not intend to become involved in Israeli electoral politics.

“I endorse American candidates, and that’s where I’m focused on is the midterms,” Vance told digital media outlet 2WAY.

Vance, who travelled to Budapest earlier this year and endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Hungary’s election, clarified that his position did not amount to opposition to Netanyahu.

“I’m not anti-endorsing him, but I’m not pro-endorsing him, I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections,” Vance said.