US Secretary of Defense Hegseth meets Netanyahu on unannounced Israel visit: Axios

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

Reuters has not yet been able to confirm the visit. The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) declined to comment, and the Israeli embassy in Washington has not yet responded to a request for comment.

News of Hegseth's trip comes a day after US President Donald Trump voiced support for Netanyahu ahead of next week's Knesset elections in Israel. These are the first elections since the October 7, 2023 attack led by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which shook Israel and led it to enter into war in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, plunging the Middle East into turmoil.

Polls indicate that Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition is expected to lose its governing majority, though the opposition may also struggle to form a government.

US Vice President J.D. Vance declined to endorse Netanyahu in an interview earlier on Monday, saying he does not intervene in Israeli elections.

Vance, who traveled to Budapest and endorsed Viktor Orban in Hungary's elections earlier this year, told the 2Way digital platform, "I support American candidates, and that's what I focus on—the midterm elections."

Vance added, "I'm not against endorsing him, but I'm not for endorsing him either... I will not interfere in Israeli elections."