Washington: US President Donald Trump was "caught off guard" by Israel's recent military actions in Syria and Gaza, including an air strike on a Catholic church, the White House said. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday that Trump immediately reached out to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in both instances to address the situation. "The president was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of the Catholic Church in Gaza," Leavitt said. "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."
According to TRTworld.com, the comments mark a rare public expression of discomfort by Trump over Israel's actions, as the president has consistently described himself as a staunch ally of Israel. Israel has faced growing international criticism in recent weeks over its aggression in Syria and the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Israel has been carrying out a military campaign in Gaza since October 2023, resulting in significant casualties. It has killed nearly 59,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Some 11,000 Palestinians are feared buried under rubble of destroyed homes, according to Palestine's official WAFA news agency. Experts suggest that the actual death toll could significantly exceed the reported figures, estimating it could be around 200,000.
Washington allocates $3.8 billion in annual military funding to its long-standing ally Israel. Since October 2023, the US has spent more than $22 billion supporting Israel's military actions in Gaza and neighboring countries. Despite senior US officials criticizing Israel regarding the high civilian death toll in Gaza, Washington has, thus far, resisted calls to place conditions on any arms transfers.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Separately, Israel is facing a genocide case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice over its military campaign in the enclave.
