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.

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 October 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.