Netanyahu gives Trump ‘Hezbollah pager’ – media
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented US President Donald Trump with a gold-plated pager during their meeting at the White House in Washington on Tuesday, according to Israeli media. The gift, which was accompanied by a standard pager, is an apparent reference to Israel’s covert sabotage operation against Hezbollah.
Trump reacted to Netanyahu’s gift by calling the Israeli attacks a “tremendous operation,” media reports claimed. In return, he gave Netanyahu a signed photograph of their meeting, with the message: “To Bibi, a great leader.”
Thousands of pagers, primarily used by Hezbollah members, exploded simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria on last September. The following day, hundreds of walkie-talkies detonated in a similar wave. The attacks reportedly resulted in at least 42 fatalities, including 12 civilians – and injured over thousands, including women and children.
The operation was widely attributed to Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and perceived as a preemptive strike. In the aftermath, Israel intensified its military campaign in Lebanon, culminating in the assassination of long-time Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a September 27 airstrike on Beirut.
In November, Netanyahu publicly acknowledged for the first time that Israeli intelligence was behind the sabotage. His spokesperson later confirmed that the prime minister had personally approved the pager operation.
Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to visit the White House since Trump’s return to office. Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom quoted a diplomatic source at the meeting as saying: “The relationship between Netanyahu and Trump has never been stronger or closer.”
At a joint press conference following the talks, Trump announced plans for the US to assume control of and rebuild Gaza, while resettling the enclave's two million residents elsewhere. Netanyahu responded positively to the proposal, describing it as a potentially historic move.
Trump’s declaration has triggered global condemnation, including by Germany, China, Iran, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia, with human rights groups describing the plan as ethnic cleansing.
The UN human rights office said on Wednesday that any forcible transfer in or deportation of people from occupied territory is a violation of international law.
