Hegseth makes undisclosed Israel visit and meets Netanyahu ahead of election

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has made an undisclosed visit to Israel and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a report citing sources familiar with the trip. The meeting took place on Monday, with no immediate public confirmation from either side. The visit comes just days before a closely contested parliamentary election in Israel.

The report said the trip was not announced in advance and that the Pentagon and Israel's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. There was also no immediate indication of what the two men discussed. The account said the meeting involved Hegseth and Netanyahu during a period of heightened political sensitivity in Israel.

The timing of the visit is notable because it follows a public endorsement of Netanyahu by US President Donald Trump on Sunday. Trump used his social media platform to back Netanyahu in next week's vote, describing him as a strong ally and giving him what he called his "complete and total endorsement." At the same time, US Vice President JD Vance said earlier on Monday that he was not getting involved in Israeli elections. The election is the first parliamentary vote since the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023 and the war in Gaza that followed.

Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition is projected to lose its governing majority, although opinion polls also suggest the opposition may struggle to form a government. That makes the election a potentially decisive moment for Israel's domestic politics and for its approach to the conflict and regional security. Hegseth's reported trip also highlights the close relationship between Washington and Netanyahu's government at a time of intense scrutiny over US political involvement in foreign elections.

The report described Hegseth as a hawkish ally of Trump, while Netanyahu is facing a knife-edge contest at home. The lack of an official agenda or readout leaves open whether the meeting focused on security, diplomacy or the election itself. For now, the main unanswered questions are what was discussed, why the visit was kept undisclosed, and whether any further official statements will follow.

It is also unclear whether the trip will draw comment from Israeli election authorities or from opposition figures. The broader significance will depend on whether the meeting is seen as routine diplomacy or as part of a wider political signal ahead of the vote.

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