Hegseth meets Netanyahu during unannounced Israel visit: Report

US Defence 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.The Pentagon and Israel's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Hegseth announced late Monday on social media that he was in the Middle East visiting US troops on what he described as an unspecified, “historic mission”. His announcement came several hours after Axios reported his visit to Israel and meeting with Netanyahu.The visit comes 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 Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which triggered a war in Gaza and heightened tensions across the Middle East.Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition is projected to lose its governing majority, although opinion polls suggest the opposition could also struggle to form a government.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.