Axios: Hegseth met Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel - Sarmad

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

News of Hegseth’s trip comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his support for Netanyahu in the Knesset elections scheduled for next week in Israel.

These are the first elections held in Israel since the October 7, 2023, attack led by the Palestinian Hamas movement, which shook Israel and triggered a war in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, plunging the region into turmoil.

Polls suggest that Netanyahu’s National Religious Coalition is likely to lose its governing majority, although the opposition may also face difficulties in forming a government.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance refrained from endorsing Netanyahu in an interview on Monday, stating that he does not interfere in Israeli elections.