President Donald Trump was “caught off guard” by Israel’s recent airstrikes in Syria and on a Catholic church in Gaza, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, The Associated Press reported. Leavitt’s remarks came amid Israel’s surprise moves stirring tensions in the region, even as Washington pushes for a ceasefire and backs Syria’s transition out of civil war.
Trump Surprised by Israeli Bombings, White House Says
“In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations,” Leavitt reportedly said. While Trump maintains “a good working relationship” with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the strikes, reports suggest, appear to have complicated the US-led peace efforts.
US Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack Slams Israel’s Timing
Tom Barrack, US envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, criticised Israel’s intervention, calling it “another very confusing chapter” that “came at a very bad time.” Speaking to the Associated Press, Barrack said Israel’s bombing during sectarian violence in Sweida “creates another very confusing chapter” in the already volatile region’s recovery.
Israel, for its part, has said that its strikes were to protect Syria’s Druze minority, which has close ties to Israel.
“Israel’s strikes were the only way to stop the massacre of the Druze in Syria… Whoever criticises the attacks are not familiar with the facts,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz recently wrote in a post on X.
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Fragile Ceasefire and Sectarian Tensions
Last week, Barrack helped broker a limited ceasefire in Sweida following deadly clashes between Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin tribes. The Syrian government, now led by former Sunni insurgents who ousted Bashar al-Assad, had earlier aligned with Bedouin factions, exacerbating minority distrust.
Barrack further said, “The killing, the revenge, the massacres on both sides are intolerable,” adding that Syria’s new leadership has handled the unrest “as best they can.”
Meanwhile, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are reportedly negotiating integration with the new national army.
According to the report, Barrack, who held discussion with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, hinted at a breakthrough “in the coming weeks.”
Lebanon and Hezbollah Still in the Mix
Addressing the mounting pressure on Hezbollah to disarm, Barrack further told the US-based news agency, “There is no consequence, there’s no threat, there’s no whip,” and added that the US “can’t compel Israel to do anything” about its airstrikes in Lebanon.
Division or Unity?
Suggesting that Israel may prefer a fragmented Syria over a strong central Arab state, Barrack further told the publication, “Strong nation-states are a threat — especially Arab states.”
“All the minority communities are smart enough to say, ‘We are better off together, centralized.’ There is no Plan B. We are committed to helping this government unify Syria.”
