 "Trump 'caught off guard' by Israeli bombings in Syria, Gaza church last week, says White House")
US President Donald Trump was caught “off-guard” by Israel’s unprecedented air strikes against Syria last week, the White House has said. Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after receiving the news of Israeli strikes in Syria and asked him to “rectify” the matter.
The president was, similarly, surprised by Israel’s airstrike on the only Catholic church in Gaza that killed at least three people. The White House said he strongly condemned the attack on the church to Netanyahu and asked the prime minister to release a statement calling the strike a mistake.
“The president enjoys a good working relationship with Bibi Netanyahu, and stays in frequent communication with him. He was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of a Catholic Church in Gaza,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Leavitt also highlighted US State Secretary Marco Runio’s efforts to ease tensions in Syria as Trump goes soft on the country by showing support to its new interim rebel chief-turned-president, Ahmed al-Sharaa and relaxing sanctions.
Trump-Netanyahu relationship taking a hit?
Trump has had a complex relationship with Netanyahu. Though they have maintained a strong political alliance, sources familiar with their interactions have told CNC that the two are not personally close, and their partnership has occasionally been marked by mutual distrust.
However, when Israel launched an attack against Iran earlier this month, Trump backed Netanyahu every step along the way until he decided to join the conflict himself by sending US fighter jets to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Trump had hoped that Netanyahu’s four-day visit to Washington would lead to progress on securing a ceasefire in Gaza, one that included the release of hostages still held by Hamas and a substantial increase in humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave. In the days leading up to the visit, the US president repeatedly expressed his expectation that a ceasefire would be reached that week.
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