White House says US president was “caught off guard” by Israeli strikes on Syria
The administration of US President Donald Trump increasingly views Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “madman” undermining Washington’s diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Axios has reported.
Israel conducted airstrikes last week on Syrian government forces and military headquarters in Damascus, in response to bloody clashes between the Druze and Bedouin communities in southern Syria. A ceasefire announced on Saturday appears to be holding.
“After several bloody days in Suwayda Province, the Internal Security Forces have succeeded in calming the situation following their deployment in the northern and western areas,” Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab wrote on X.
Despite the truce, US officials have become “significantly more alarmed” by Netanyahu’s behavior and policies, Axios reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.
“Bibi acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time,” the outlet quoted a White House official as saying. “This could undermine what Trump is trying to do.”
“The president doesn’t like turning on the television and seeing bombs dropped in a country where he’s seeking peace and has made a monumental announcement to help rebuild,” the official added.
On Monday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump “was caught off guard” by both the strikes in Syria and a recent Israeli attack on Gaza’s only Catholic church. “In both cases, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify these situations,” Leavitt said.
Netanyahu’s office said on Thursday that it “deeply regrets” the strike on the Holy Family Church, which killed three people, and pledged to investigate the incident. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes in Syria were intended to protect the Druze population from atrocities.
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