Hegseth meets Netanyahu in unannounced Israel visit

Hegseth has travelled to Israel to meet Netanyahu ahead of a closely contested election, Axios reported, citing sources.Published On 20 Oct 202620 Oct 2026US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an undisclosed visit to Israel, according to Axios.The meeting between the hawkish ally of US President Donald Trump and the veteran Israeli premier facing a knife-edge election occurred on Monday, Axios reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3On Iran, Israel’s opposition is even more hawkish than Netanyahulist 2 of 3Trump backs Netanyahu: Is the US planning a new Iran attack with Israel?list 3 of 3Netanyahu’s new security doctrine: Regional strategy or election ploy?end of listThe Reuters news agency could not immediately confirm the visit. The Pentagon and Israel’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and there was no immediate indication of what they discussed.Trump endorsementPresident Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday to endorse Netanyahu in next week’s parliamentary election, the first vote since the ...