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US President Donald Trump was reportedly “caught off guard” by recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria and Gaza, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. She confirmed on Monday that the president held a direct conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the incidents.
The Israeli military last week launched air raids targeting Syria’s capital Damascus and the southern city of Sweida, which has a large Druze population. Officials said the strikes were intended to pressure Damascus into pulling its forces from conflict zones in the region.
Leavitt told reporters that President Trump was not anticipating either the Syrian operation or the separate bombing of a Catholic church in the Gaza Strip. “The president was caught off guard by both the strikes in Syria and the bombing of a church in Gaza,” she said. “He immediately contacted Prime Minister Netanyahu to address both matters.”
The Israeli leader had previously visited Washington earlier in the month, marking his third trip since Trump returned to office on January 20. Despite the tension, Leavitt described the relationship between the two leaders as strong and ongoing. “They speak regularly and maintain a good working relationship,” she added.
Tensions between Israel and Syria have since eased following a US-mediated ceasefire announced on Friday. That same day, Netanyahu reportedly phoned Pope Leo to apologise for the strike on the church in Gaza, attributing it to a stray missile.
In a separate development, President Trump met Syria’s newly installed leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, during a visit to Saudi Arabia in May. The meeting followed the US government’s decision to lift long-standing sanctions on Damascus.
Al-Sharaa, who previously headed a powerful armed faction aligned with Al Qaeda, assumed control after the fall of the previous Syrian government last December. Following his rise to power, the US also withdrew a bounty that had been placed on his head.
