Trump ‘caught off guard' by recent Israeli strikes in Syria and Gaza, says White House
The incidents drew a prompt reaction from the US President, who called his staunch ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to 'rectify' the situation, the White House press secretary said.
'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,' Leavitt told reporters.
'In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations,' she added.
Trump 'wants the killing to end': Leavitt
Leavitt said that Trump was deeply concerned about the increasing death toll in war-torn Gaza and that he wants the bloodbath to end.
'The president's message on this conflict we've seen in the Middle East taking place for far too long, that has become quite brutal, especially in recent days, you've seen reports of more people dying. I think the president never likes to see that. He wants the killing to end, and he wants to negotiate a ceasefire in this region,' the White House press secretary said.
'He wants to see all of the hostages released from Gaza. That has been a top priority for this president,' she added.
Trump is pressing for an end to the ongoing war in Gaza and is also attempting to support the new Syrian government. However, the military operations by Israel have jeopardised these initiatives.
Last week, the IDF strike on a Catholic church in the besieged Palestinian enclave, killing three people, sparked massive outrage. Additionally, Israel intervened during the latest outbreak of sectarian violence in Syria, bombing the country's capital, Damascus.
Trump's special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, told The Associated Press that Israel's intervention in Syria 'creates another very confusing chapter' and 'came at a very bad time.'
Leavitt further emphasised that Trump wanted to see peace and applauded his efforts to push humanitarian aid into Gaza.
'The president is the reason that aid is even being distributed in Gaza at all,' she said.
'It's a very difficult and complicated situation that the president inherited because of the weakness of the last administration. And I think he should be applauded,' Leavitt added. 'The president wants to see peace, and he's been pretty clear on that.'
(With inputs from agencies)
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