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| President Trump (left) and Prime Minister Netanyahu attend a state dinner at the White House in Washington, D.C., recently. (Photo: Reuters) |
sukabumiNews.net, WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump was shocked by Israel's military actions in Gaza and Syria last week, prompting him to contact Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "de-escalate the situation," according to a White House statement.
This incident once again highlighted the increasingly
tense relationship between the two leaders, despite their close allies.
Among the actions that angered Trump was last Thursday's
Israeli airstrike on Gaza's only Catholic church, which killed three civilians.
Trump immediately contacted Netanyahu and urged him to
issue an official statement that the attack was a mistake.
Trump also did not
anticipate Israel launching airstrikes on government buildings in Damascus,
Syria, even though his administration is actively supporting the recovery
process in the war-torn country.
"The President
has a good working relationship with Netanyahu and communicates with him
regularly. However, he was deeply shocked by the bombing in Syria and the
attack on the Catholic church in Gaza," White House Press Secretary
Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday, July 21, as reported by Anadolu
Agency.
"In both
incidents, the President immediately contacted the Prime Minister to try to
rectify the situation," she added.
According to Leavitt,
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is currently actively pursuing diplomatic
efforts to defuse tensions in Syria, including easing sanctions and supporting
the country's new President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former rebel leader.
The personal
relationship between Trump and Netanyahu has long been considered complicated,
although the two countries maintain close strategic ties.
In fact, according to
some sources, their relationship has often been overshadowed by mutual
distrust.
However, the
relationship appears to have grown closer since Trump decided to join Israel's
air campaign against Iran last summer.
At a recent official
dinner at the White House, Netanyahu also presented a letter to the Nobel Prize
committee nominating Trump for the peace prize.
Trump had hoped that
Netanyahu's four-day visit to Washington earlier this month would yield results,
including a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the release of hostages, and increased
humanitarian aid to the besieged territory.
However, Netanyahu
left the US without any official announcement regarding the agreement.
Now, nearly a week
after the latest ceasefire proposal was submitted to Hamas, all parties are
still awaiting a response from the group's leaders in Gaza.
In a statement on
Monday, Hamas said it was "working hard day and night" to reach a
ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages.
Trump is reportedly
increasingly upset by the rising death toll from the ongoing Gaza conflict –
including an attack on a church last week that killed three civilians.
"The President
is saddened by this conflict in West Asia that has gone on for far too long and
is becoming increasingly violent. The increasing reports of deaths are deeply
concerning to him. The President wants this bloodshed to stop," Leavitt
said.
He also praised the
Trump administration's efforts to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, despite
criticism from some Western foreign ministers for the slow pace of aid
delivery.
The Gaza Health
Ministry announced that more than 1,000 people have died trying to get aid
since late May.
"The president
is the reason why aid is still being delivered to Gaza. He wants this to be
done peacefully and without further loss of life. This is a complex crisis
inherited from the weaknesses of the previous administration," Leavitt
said.
