US president called Premier Netanyahu in both cases to 'rectify' situations, says spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt
US President Donald Trump was "caught off guard" by Israel's bombing in Syria and strike on a Catholic church in Gaza, prompting calls to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address both situations, the White House said Monday.
"The president was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of the Catholic Church in Gaza," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters. "In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations."
On July 13, clashes broke out between Bedouin Arab tribes and armed Druze groups in Suwayda in southern Syria. The situation worsened on July 16 when the Israeli military conducted strikes near the Syrian presidential palace and on the General Staff headquarters and Defense Ministry.
Israel also attacked the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza last Thursday, which killed three people and injured 10, including the parish priest.
Israeli strikes in Syria have led to “growing skepticism inside the Trump administration” regarding Netanyahu, with a sense that his policies in the Middle East are “too disruptive,” the US-based Axios news site reported Sunday.
- Gaza conflict going on 'far too long'
On Gaza, Leavitt said the conflict has been going on "far too long" and become "quite brutal" in recent days.
"The president never likes to see that," Leavitt said, referring to the increasing death toll in Gaza due to Israeli attacks. "He wants the killing to end, and he wants to negotiate a ceasefire in this region, and he wants to see all of the hostages released from Gaza," she added.
Since March 2, Israel has enforced a total blockade on Gaza, barring entry of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned of a man-made famine, with no sign of easing.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
