Israeli media on Tuesday reported that U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel.
The Israeli news outlet, Ynet, reported that Netanyahu had flown to Ovda Air Base in southern Israel earlier on Monday evening to attend the meeting with Hegseth.
The U.S. Department of Defence is yet to comment on the visit.
Hegseth wrote on X that he had met with troops from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for military operations in the Middle East.
The visit comes a week before Israel’s parliamentary election, in which Netanyahu faces a close contest against his main challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
In spite of their sometimes strained relationship, U.S. President Donald Trump openly endorsed Netanyahu on Sunday.
U.S. news outlet Axios linked Hegseth’s visit to possible speculation about a renewed escalation in the conflict with Iran.
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