White House: Trump was unaware of Israeli strikes on Syria

The White House said last night that US President Donald Trump expressed his surprise at the Israeli airstrikes on military sites in Syria last week and immediately contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the matter.

Caroline Levitt, the White House spokesperson, stated during a press conference that Trump was "surprised by the bombing in Syria" and made an urgent call to Netanyahu to inquire about the backgrounds and details of the operation.

The statements opened the door to speculation about a rare divergence in positions between Trump and Netanyahu, despite the close relations between the two parties, especially regarding policies towards Iran and the region.

Levitt said, "The President has a good working relationship with Netanyahu and remains in constant contact with him," but she clarified that Washington has recently noticed a decrease in the escalation pace inside Syria.

Israeli warplanes carried out raids on Syrian army sites in the city of Al-Suwayda in the south of the country, in addition to military centers in the capital, Damascus, as part of Israeli pressure on Damascus to withdraw its forces from Al-Suwayda, which witnessed fierce local clashes.

According to Israeli sources, the airstrikes were part of political and military messages to compel the Syrian government to reduce its military presence in those areas.

The United States played a mediating role in reaching an agreement to cease fire between Syria and Israel, which was announced on Friday evening after days of escalation.