# US defense chief visits Netanyahu in Israel

> Pete Hegseth makes unannounced trip to meet Benjamin Netanyahu at military base in southern desert.
- Title: US defense chief visits Netanyahu in Israel · Al Jazeera
- Summary: Pete Hegseth makes unannounced trip to meet Benjamin Netanyahu at military base in southern desert. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime…
- Keywords: pete hegseth, benjamin netanyahu, israel, us defense secretary, diplomatic visit, news, world, politics, defense, chief, visits, Netanyahu
- Source: Al Jazeera — https://aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/20/hegseth-meets-netanyahu-in-unannounced-israel-visit?traffic_source=rss
- Author: Al Jazeera Staff
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: pete hegseth, benjamin netanyahu, israel, us defense secretary, diplomatic visit, news, world, politics
## Hegseth arrives in Israel unannounced
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an undisclosed visit to Israel on October nineteenth.
## Meeting held at southern air base
Netanyahu's spokesperson Doron Spielman confirmed to Reuters that the two leaders met at the Uvda air force base in Israel's southern Negev desert region.
## Axios first reported the visit
The unannounced visit was first reported by Axios on Tuesday, October twentieth, when Spielman confirmed the meeting to the Reuters news agency.
## Key takeaway

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an undisclosed visit to Israel on October nineteenth.