Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Hegseth said to make secret visit to Israel today, meet with Netanyahu
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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office on July 28, 2026, alongside US special envoy Steve Witkoff. (GPO)
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel today, Axios reports, citing two sources with knowledge.
The Pentagon and Israel’s Embassy in Washington do 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 national election in Israel — its first vote in four years and the first since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza.
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