US President Donald Trump was “caught off guard” by Israeli military actions in Syria last week, according to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, who confirmed he subsequently discussed the matter with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Israel conducted military operations in Damascus and the Druze-majority city of Sweida, stating their intention was to pressure Syrian forces to withdraw from the area where ongoing conflicts persist.Leavitt informed reporters at a press briefing that Trump “was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of a Catholic church in Gaza,” adding that “In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations.”Netanyahu’s recent White House visit marked his third since Trump’s return to office on January 20. Leavitt noted, “The president enjoys a good working relationship with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, and stays in, you know, frequent communication with him,” adding “When it came to Syria, we saw a de-escalation there.”A US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Syria commenced on Friday. The same day, PM Netanyahu contacted Pope Leo regarding the Gaza church strike, attributing it to a “stray missile.”In May, Trump met Syria’s Islamist president Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia after easing numerous long-standing US sanctions on Damascus. Trump subsequently praised al-Sharaa, who previously led a significant armed group formerly associated with Al Qaeda that overthrew the Syrian government in December. Following al-Sharaa’s rise to power, the United States removed the bounty on his head.
