The White House expressed disagreements with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, known as “Bibi”, over Israel’s recent bomb strike on Syria, including the shelling of the Catholic church in Gaza last week, Axios reported. Trump administration reportedly believes he has been acting like a “madman” with ‘political agenda’ and did a huge mistake.
“Bibi acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time. This could undermine what Trump is trying to do,” a White House official told Axios, while indicating to a latest Israeli strike on the Syrian presidential palace.
Bombing in Syria came as ‘surprise’ to Trump
Another official, as per the report, stated, Trump dialled Netanyahu after the Gaza church strike and sought an explanation. “The feeling is that every day there is something new. What the f***?” Axios quoted an official as saying.
According to US officials, whom Axios cited, “The bombing in Syria caught the president and the White House by surprise. The president doesn’t like turning on the television and seeing bombs dropped in a country he is seeking peace in and made a monumental announcement to help rebuild. Bibi’s political agenda is driving his senses. It will turn out to be a big mistake for him long-term.”
On Tuesday, Israel launched an airstrike targeting a convoy of Syrian army tanks headed toward the city of Suwayda. The tanks were reportedly deployed in response to intense fighting between a Druze militia and armed Bedouin tribesmen, a conflict that has resulted in over 700 deaths. Israel stated that the convoy had entered a section of southern Syria that it insists must remain demilitarised.
Following the Israeli strike in Syria, the United States stepped in to help de-escalate the situation. The US Ambassador to Turkey announced that a ceasefire had been brokered between the conflicting parties.
“The U.S. wants to keep the new Syrian government stable and doesn’t understand why we attack in Syria, because of attacks on the Druze community there. We tried to explain to them that this is our commitment to the Druze community in Israel,” Axios quoted the senior Israeli official as saying.