President Donald Trump was reportedly blindsided by recent Israeli military actions in the Middle East and personally intervened to address the fallout, according to the White House.
Speaking to reporters Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was “caught off guard” by Israeli airstrikes in Syria and the bombing of a Catholic church in Gaza. She confirmed the president promptly reached out to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “rectify” both situations.
“President Trump was not informed in advance about the strikes on Damascus or Sweida, nor about the incident involving the church in Gaza,” Leavitt said. “He quickly got on the phone with Prime Minister Netanyahu to express concern and seek resolution.”
The Israeli airstrikes, which hit near the Syrian presidential palace and damaged parts of the defense ministry, were reportedly aimed at pressuring Syria’s Islamist government under Ahmad al-Sharaa to withdraw its forces from contested regions. A separate incident in Gaza involved the bombing of a Catholic church, which Israel has attributed to a “stray missile.”
According to the White House, Netanyahu called Pope Leo to express regret over the church strike.
The prime minister, who shares a longstanding relationship with President Trump, had met with him at the White House earlier this month—his third visit since Trump returned to office in January.
“The president enjoys a strong working relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu and maintains frequent communication with him,” Leavitt added.
She also noted that following Trump’s call, Israel and Syria entered a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on Friday, signaling a de-escalation in the region.
Background on U.S.-Syria Relations:
Trump met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in May during a summit in Saudi Arabia, shortly after lifting key U.S. sanctions against Damascus. Sharaa, who previously led an armed faction once aligned with Al Qaeda and came to power after toppling Syria’s former government, has since been praised by Trump. The U.S. also removed a longstanding bounty on his head following the regime change.
