US President Donald Trump 'caught off guard' by Israeli strikes in Syria

US President Donald Trump was "caught off guard" by Israeli strikes in Syria last week, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Monday, adding that he discussed the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel had launched strikes on the capital Damascus and the southern Druze-majority city of Sweida, saying it aimed to put pressure on the Syrian government to withdraw its troops from the region amid ongoing clashes there.

Trump "was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of a Catholic church in Gaza," Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing.


"In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations," she continued.

Netanyahu had visited the White House earlier this month, his third trip since Trump returned to power on January 20.

"The president enjoys a good working relationship with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, and stays in, you know, frequent communication with him," Leavitt said.

"When it came to Syria, we saw a de-escalation there."

Israel and Syria on Friday entered a US-brokered ceasefire.

Also on Friday, PM Netanyahu called Pope Leo to express regret at the strike on the Catholic church in Gaza, blaming a "stray missile."

In May, Trump met with Syria's Islamist president Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia shortly after lifting many longstanding US sanctions against Damascus.

Trump later praised the leader, who led a major armed group that was once aligned with Al Qaeda and toppled the Syrian government in December.

The United States removed a bounty on Sharaa's head after he came to power.