Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave US President Donald Trump a golden beeper as a gift during their meeting in Washington, in a nod to a sophisticated attack that exploded hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hizbollah operatives in Lebanon, an Israeli official said.
The attack, which showed a deep infiltration into Hizbollah’s ranks and its operations, wounded thousands of people and killed at least nine. It was carried out Sept. 18, 2024, just as fighting between Israel and the Lebanese group was escalating, culminating in the deaths of multiple Hizbollah leaders and an eventual ceasefire after months of cross-border violence.
The Israeli official said that Trump, upon receiving the gift, responded: “That was a major operation.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to reveal details of the encounter to the media.
The official said Trump and Netanyahu spent five hours together and that their visit included a dinner, a tour of the White House and meetings with officials.
The United Nations chief believes Trump’s proposal to move all Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip would be “ethnic cleaning,” and says only a two-state solution can bring stability to the Middle East.
Without mentioning Trump, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a long-planned meeting of the General Assembly committee supporting Palestinian rights on Wednesday that “in the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse.”
“It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law,” he said. “It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.”
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric was asked earlier Wednesday if the secretary-general believes Trump’s plan for the U.S. to clean out and take over Gaza is ethnic cleansing. “Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing,” he replied.
Agencies
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