Trump Surprised by Israeli Strikes on Syria, White House Says
The White House stated that Donald Trump was "caught off guard" by Israel's recent strikes on Syria, adding that the U.S. president subsequently contacted Benjamin Netanyahu to address the matter.
Israel carried out attacks in Damascus and the southern city of Sweida last week, citing the need to pressure the Syrian government to withdraw its troops from the area amid ongoing clashes.
A spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed on Monday that Trump had not been informed in advance about the strikes in Syria or an attack on a Catholic church in Gaza.
"In both cases, the president promptly spoke with the prime minister to resolve the issues," she said.
An Israeli strike on Gaza’s sole Catholic church killed three people and wounded 10 others, including the local priest, who had maintained regular contact with the late Pope Francis.
Netanyahu later expressed regret to Pope Leo over the incident, attributing it to a "stray missile."
Netanyahu had visited the White House earlier this month, marking his third trip since Trump resumed office in January. Leavitt noted the two leaders remain in "frequent communication."
Following U.S. mediation, Israel and Syria initiated a ceasefire on Friday. By Monday, Syrian officials had relocated Bedouin families from Sweida.
Despite sporadic gunfire in areas north of Sweida, the ceasefire was mostly observed, with no new casualties reported, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Recent clashes in the southern province resulted in over 1,260 deaths, undermining the authority of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who vowed to safeguard minorities in a nation ravaged by 14 years of conflict.
Trump met with Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May and announced the easing of several U.S. sanctions against Syria.
The U.S. president later commended Sharaa, who previously led an armed faction once linked to al-Qaida and played a role in ousting Bashar al-Assad’s government.
The U.S. also withdrew its bounty on Sharaa after he assumed power.
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