The FBI director makes a secret trip to Israel.

Christopher A. Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, visited Israel unannounced on Wednesday to meet with officials from the country's intelligence and law enforcement agencies, the FBI said.

As part of the visit, his first to Israel since the October 7 Hamas-led terrorist attacks, Mr. Wray also spoke with FBI agents working in Israel, the agency said in a statement on Wednesday, emphasizing the importance of their efforts to counter threats from Hezbollah and Hamas, both designated terrorist groups by the United States.

Mr. Wray spoke with officials from Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency; Shin Bet, Israel's equivalent of the FBI; and the Israeli National Police, according to a person familiar with his trip to Israel. Details of the trip were made public after Mr Wray left Israel.

The FBI has been working closely with its counterparts in Israel following the October 7 attacks that killed approximately 1,200 people. About 250 others, including Americans, were kidnapped in the attacks. The FBI has opened cases involving crimes against Americans committed by Hamas or others.

“The FBI's partnership with our Israeli counterparts is long-standing, close and robust,” Mr. Wray said in a statement, “and I am confident that our agencies' proximity has contributed to our ability to respond so quickly to these attacks, and to ensure our support is as seamless as possible.”

The United States has established a CIA task force to help Israel track down Hamas' top leaders, while US spy agencies have also increased the priority of intelligence gathering on Hamas. The CIA has also been heavily involved in negotiations for the release of hostages held by Hamas and its allies in Gaza, and President Biden has sent the agency's director, William J. Burns, to participate in the ceasefire fire talks in Cairo.

After his trip, Mr Wray returned to Germany for the Munich Security Conference.