Trump ‘caught off guard’ by Israeli strikes in Syria and on Catholic church in Gaza

Asked whether Trump has expressed his frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over recent Israeli strikes in Gaza, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says that the two leaders have a “good working relationship” and are in frequent contact.

However, Leavitt acknowledges to reporters outside the White House that Trump was “caught off guard” both by Israel’s recent bombings in Syria and by a deadly IDF strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church.

“In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations,” the White House press secretary says.

Over the weekend, several US officials were anonymously quoted in the Axios news site expressing their frustration with Netanyahu, arguing that Israel’s strikes on Syrian government forces risk toppling the fledgling leadership that Washington is trying to support in order to stabilize the country.