Trump called Netanyahu to 'rectify' Gaza, Syria strikes: White House
A strike on the only Catholic Church in Gaza last Thursday drew an immediate reaction from Trump, who called Netanyahu to express his displeasure and ensure the Israeli leader issued a statement labelling the attack a mistake, CNN reported.
Trump was also surprised by Israeli airstrikes in the Syrian capital Damascus, which came as his administration works to stabilise the war-torn country. "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," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday.
"In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations," she added.
CNN noted that despite being close allies, Trump and Netanyahu share a complicated relationship marked by periods of mutual distrust. While they cooperated closely during this summer's joint air campaign in Iran, the personal dynamic between them has remained strained.
Leavitt also pointed to diplomatic efforts in Syria led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has worked to ease tensions as the U.S. lifts sanctions and supports new Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former rebel leader, CNN reported.
Trump had hoped Netanyahu's recent visit to Washington would yield progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza, including the release of hostages held by Hamas and expanded humanitarian aid access. Despite Trump's repeated assertions that a deal was imminent, Netanyahu departed the U.S. without any announcement, CNN reported.
CNN quoted sources familiar with the negotiations as saying all parties are still awaiting a response from Hamas to the latest ceasefire and hostage release proposal. In a statement Monday, Hamas said it was "exerting all our efforts and energies around the clock" to reach an agreement.
Leavitt said Trump remains deeply concerned about the growing toll of the Gaza conflict. "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," she said.
She further praised Trump's efforts to push humanitarian aid into Gaza. "The president is the reason that aid is even being distributed in Gaza at all," Leavitt stated, as per CNN. "He wants to see this done in a peaceful manner, where more lives are not being lost."
CNN also reported that over 1,000 people have died seeking humanitarian relief in Gaza since late May, according to local health ministry figures. Foreign ministers from 25 nations recently criticized Israel for "drip feeding" aid into the region.
"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."
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Observer
9 hours ago
- Observer
Thai-Cambodia border shelling continues despite Trump's ceasefire call
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Observer
19 hours ago
- Observer
Why are Thailand and Cambodia Fighting?
President Donald Trump said Saturday that Cambodia's prime minister and the acting prime minister of Thailand had agreed to meet immediately and quickly work out a ceasefire as he sought to end the conflict between the two Southeast Asian neighbors, which has entered a third day. Thai and Cambodian forces attacked each other in the Thai province of Trat on Saturday, creating a new front in the battle over their shared border, in the deadliest clashes between the two Southeast Asian nations in more than a decade. At least 34 people have died in the conflict, which began Thursday with an eruption of violence near Prasat Ta Muen Thom, an ancient temple claimed by both nations, after two months of tension. Thailand and Cambodia are each negotiating trade deals with the United States, but it was unclear if Trump's intervention would actually end the fighting. China has also offered to mediate talks. It is the largest trading partner for Thailand and Cambodia, and has increased its influence in the region as governments in Southeast Asia are becoming wary of the United States. The border tensions have contributed to a political crisis in Thailand: On July 1, a Thai court suspended the prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, because of comments she made about the dispute, which goes back decades. The conflict marks a split between Shinawatra's father and Cambodia's leader, whose decades-long relationship had been the glue holding the two neighbors together despite the intractable border dispute. What started this conflict? Each nation accused the other of firing first on Thursday. The Thai army said that Cambodia had fired rockets into civilian areas in four Thai provinces, prompting Thailand to send F-16 fighter jets to strike targets in Cambodia. Cambodian officials said that Thai soldiers had opened fire on Cambodian troops first, at Prasat Ta Muen Thom, a temple claimed by both nations. They said Cambodian forces returned fire some 15 minutes later. In Thailand, at least 13 civilians and seven soldiers have been killed. In Cambodia, there have been at least 13 deaths, including those of five soldiers. More than 131,000 people in Thailand have evacuated from areas along the border, while in Cambodia, 35,000 people have fled their homes. Who is working on a ceasefire? In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said he spoke by phone with Cambodia's leader, Hun Manet, and Thailand's acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai. The president said that he told both leaders that it was inappropriate to 'get back to the 'Trading Table' with the United States 'until the fighting STOPS.' Thailand and Cambodia are both negotiating trade deals with the United States. 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In 2013, the court, the top judicial body of the United Nations, tried to clarify the 1962 decision. It said that Cambodia had sovereignty over the immediate area around that temple, but it left unresolved who controlled a larger disputed area. The two countries have had occasional military clashes and nationalist rivalries for hundreds of years. The border disputes can be traced to a 1907 map created during French colonial rule in Cambodia. The two countries interpret the map differently. Military fighting has broken out intermittently since 2008, but the last time that a major clash turned deadly was in 2011. Why was Thailand's prime minister suspended? In June, Paetongtarn spoke by phone to Hun Sen, Cambodia's de facto leader, to discuss the escalating border tensions. Hun Sen has had close ties to her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister of Thailand and the leader of a powerful political dynasty, as well as one of the country's richest men. Hun Sen posted a recording of their call, in which Paetongtarn seemed to disparage Thailand's powerful military and take a deferential tone. She called Hun Sen 'uncle' and told him that she would 'arrange' anything he wanted. In response, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Bangkok to express their outrage. Although Paetongtarn apologized, she has faced pressure to resign. In early July, a Thai court suspended her. This article originally appeared in
Times of Oman
20 hours ago
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Trump demands prosecution of Kamala Harris over alleged million-dollar endorsement payments
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