Hegseth meets Netanyahu in unannounced visit to Israel

US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth speaks at a National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON: US defense secretary Pete Hegseth met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, Axios reported, citing two sources with knowledge.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the visit. The Pentagon and Israel's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

News of Hegseth's trip comes a day after US president Donald Trump endorsed Netanyahu in next week's parliamentary election in Israel - its first vote since the Hamas attack on Oct 7, 2023, that shook the country and plunged the Middle East into turmoil, as Israel went to war in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition is projected to lose its governing majority, although the opposition may also struggle to form a government, opinion polls show.

US vice president JD Vance, however, declined to endorse Netanyahu in an interview earlier on Monday, saying he was not getting involved in Israeli elections.

"I endorse American candidates, and that's where I'm focused on is the midterms," Vance, who travelled to Budapest and endorsed Viktor Orban in Hungarian election earlier this year, said in an interview with digital media outlet 2WAY.

"I'm not anti-endorsing him, but I'm not pro-endorsing him, I'm not getting involved in Israeli elections." Vance said.