Israel PM gifts Trump gold pager, in apparent reference to attacks on Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented U.S. President Donald Trump with a gold-plated pager, an apparent reference to a pager attack Israel launched in Lebanon last year. Reuters reported that Netanyahu's office has confirmed the matter, marking a symbolic gesture with complex undertones.

In the September 2024 Israeli operation, pagers used by Hezbollah were detonated across Lebanon. The pager attacks, along with a weaponized walkie-talkie attack the following day, resulted in 39 deaths, including two children, and injured over 3,400 people. Lebanon and Hezbollah blamed Israel for the attacks, and Netanyahu's office later confirmed that he authorized the order for the strike, sparking international condemnation and debate.

An unnamed Israeli official told the Associated Press that Trump responded upon receiving the gift by saying, "This was a major operation." White House officials have not immediately commented on the matter. A photo circulating online and released by Reuters shows a gold-plated pager mounted on a wooden base, engraved with the words: "To President Donald J. Trump. Our greatest friend and greatest ally. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu." This presentation underscores the close relationship between the two leaders, despite the controversial nature of the event it commemorates.

The pager attacks occurred amidst cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah, after the Lebanese militant group decided to launch attacks against Israel following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October 2023. The conflict escalated into a full-blown war in September 2024, with Israel launching massive airstrikes on Lebanon and conducting a ground invasion of the country's south. A ceasefire agreement was implemented in November 2024, bringing a temporary halt to the intense fighting.

The Lebanese Health Ministry stated that more than 3,700 people in Lebanon have been killed and 1.2 million displaced since the Israeli invasion. According to Israeli statistics, at least 75 Israelis were killed in the conflict, including approximately 50 soldiers. Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to visit the White House since Trump took office last month. This visit followed the U.S. President's reiteration of his controversial proposal for the U.S. to "take over" and rebuild Gaza, an idea he first raised during his meeting with Netanyahu earlier this week, sparking further debate and criticism.

Much of the coastal Palestinian enclave has been reduced to rubble in attacks launched by Israel in retaliation for the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Palestinian authorities say that more than 46,000 people had been killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza before a ceasefire went into effect last month. According to Israeli statistics, Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 Israelis in the October 7 attack, highlighting the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict on both sides.