Trump was ‘caught off guard’ by Israel’s strikes in Syria, on Gaza Catholic church: White House

President Trump was “caught off guard” by Israel’s strikes in Syria and on a Catholic Church in Gaza, according to the White House.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump has “a good working relationship” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but “he was caught off guard by the bombings, according to the Associated Press. 

On Thursday, Israel apologized for what it said was an unintended ammunition strike on Gaza’s only Catholic Church, killing three. And Netanyahu’s office said an investigation into the matter is being conducted.

Leavitt said later that Netanyahu told Trump the attack “was a mistake by the Israelis.”

On Monday, U.S. special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, criticized Israel’s intervention in Syria after Israeli strikes hit the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters in Damascus last week.

Barrack said that Israel’s intervention “creates another very confusing chapter” and “came at a very bad time.”

There had been clashes for days in the southern Syrian city of Sweida with the government, which aided Bedouins against Druze armed groups. 

Israel had already launched dozens of strikes targeting Syrian government troops and convoys, which the country says were in support of the Druze, a religious minority group that is seen as a loyal minority within the Jewish nation and often serves in its military.