Israel PM Gifts Golden Pager to Trump Marking Attack on Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a golden pager to U.S. President Donald Trump during their recent meeting at the White House. This gesture was meant to symbolize Israel's significant military operation against Hezbollah, which took place last year.

The golden pager represents a critical moment in the conflict against Hezbollah when Israel executed a dangerous strike using explosive devices disguised as pagers in September 2024. According to a statement from Netanyahu's office, this operation demonstrated Israel's strength and technological advantage over its adversaries.

Hezbollah was taken by surprise with the attacks, which reportedly resulted in numerous casualties among their fighters—Lebanese officials stated that dozens were killed and thousands injured as a result.

In late September of the same year, Israel launched a ground invasion into southern Lebanon with the objective of pushing Hezbollah forces away from the border. After months of intense confrontations, a ceasefire was agreed upon between Israel and Hezbollah in late November, effectively halting over a year of violent clashes marked by a fierce Israeli bombing campaign.

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli troops continued to operate in certain areas of Lebanon after the agreement. The original three-month period set to implement the ceasefire came to an end on January 26, when the Israeli army failed to meet the deadline for withdrawing their troops from southern Lebanon.

Israeli officials emphasized that they did not intend to adhere to the withdrawal timeline, citing the Lebanese army's failure to comply with their commitments under the ceasefire agreement as the main reason. Israel has conducted sporadic airstrikes in Lebanon since the ceasefire, stating they had a new deadline of February 18 to complete their troop withdrawal.

Israel, Trump, Hezbollah