US Defense Secretary Hegseth makes unannounced visit to Israel, meets Netanyahu
In short
US Defense Secretary Hegseth visited Israel on 19 October without prior announcement and met Prime Minister Netanyahu at Ofda Air Base, Axios reported, citing two sources. The visit came days before Israel's 27 October parliamentary election and amid US-Israeli discussion of possibly resuming major military action against Iran. An Israeli prime ministerial spokesperson later confirmed the meeting, Chinese outlets reported.
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US Defense Secretary Hegseth visited Israel on 19 October without announcing the trip in advance and met Prime Minister Netanyahu, Chinese outlets reported. CLS and Xinhua said Axios, citing two sources, reported that the meeting took place at Ofda Air Base. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Xinhua said Axios reported that the base hosts US tanker aircraft and fighters and that Hegseth also met US troops stationed there. According to Xinhua, the US defense department and the Israeli prime minister's office had not responded. Jiemian, citing CCTV, said the defense department and Israel's embassy in the US declined to comment and the prime minister's office had not replied to a request. [ 1 , 4 ]
Jiemian and Xinhua said the visit came as the US and Israel discuss possibly resuming major military action against Iran. Xinhua said Israel is to hold a parliamentary election on 27 October, the first since the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict began in 2023, which it described as being seen as a test of the government led by Netanyahu. Xinhua said Israeli polls point to a close race in which neither Netanyahu's camp nor the opposition would control a majority of seats. [ 1 , 4 ]
Xinhua also said US President Trump wrote on social media on 18 October that Netanyahu had survived despite what he called huge opposition and become stronger. Trump said he fully and completely backs Netanyahu's re-election. [ 4 ]
Late on 20 October, CLS and Jiemian reported that an Israeli prime ministerial spokesperson confirmed that Netanyahu met Hegseth the previous day. They said, citing reports, that the two held an unpublicised meeting at an air base in southern Israel and discussed Iran and wider Middle East security. The same reports said the prime minister's office, the US defense department and Israel's embassy in the US did not comment, and that Hegseth had earlier confirmed an undisclosed trip to the Middle East and an inspection of US troops without saying where he stayed. [ 6 , 7 ]
Jiemian, citing CCTV, added a separate report that 10 Israeli fighters flew from Nevatim Air Base over Syria into Iraqi airspace for several simulated strikes, to keep up pressure on Iran's air defenses. The Israeli military did not confirm it. [ 7 ]
Why it matters
Chinese outlets link the visit to talks between the US and Israel on possibly resuming major military operations against Iran, and to an election that Xinhua says is seen as a test of Netanyahu's government. The documents do not say what was agreed.
Key facts
- Hegseth travelled to Israel on 19 October without a prior announcement and met Netanyahu at Ofda Air Base, according to Axios as relayed by Xinhua and CLS. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Axios cited two sources; the base hosts US tanker aircraft and fighters, and Hegseth also met US troops stationed there. [ 4 ]
- The visit came as the US and Israel discuss possibly resuming major military action against Iran. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Israel is due to hold a parliamentary election on 27 October. [ 4 ]
- An Israeli prime ministerial spokesperson later confirmed that Netanyahu met Hegseth the previous day, CLS and Jiemian reported. [ 6 , 7 ]
- Hegseth had earlier confirmed an undisclosed trip to the Middle East and an inspection of US troops, without naming where he stayed. [ 6 , 7 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- What Hegseth and Netanyahu discussed CLS and Jiemian say, citing reports, that they discussed Iran and Middle East security; no outlet gives details, and the Israeli prime minister's office, the US defense department and Israel's embassy in the US did not comment.
- Whether the Israeli prime minister's office commented The same CLS and Jiemian reports say a prime ministerial spokesperson confirmed the meeting and that the prime minister's office declined to comment on the reports; the documents do not reconcile the two.
- Israeli air force drills reported near Iran Jiemian, citing CCTV, reported that 10 Israeli fighters flew from Nevatim Air Base over Syria into Iraqi airspace for simulated strikes; the Israeli military did not confirm it, and it is not tied directly to the visit.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Jiemian publishes a report of the visit, citing two sources, on 20 October. [ 1 ]
- CLS reports Axios's account of the unannounced visit and meeting at Ofda Air Base. [ 2 ]
- Xinhua publishes its report with background on the election and Trump's statement. [ 4 ]
- CLS reports that the Israeli prime ministerial spokesperson confirmed the meeting. [ 6 ]