Trump called Netanyahu to 'rectify' Gaza, Syria strikes: White HouseA
A strike on the only Catholic Church in Gaza last Thursday drew an immediate reaction from Trump, who called Netanyahu to express his displeasure and ensure the Israeli leader issued a statement labelling the attack a mistake, CNN reported.
Trump was also surprised by Israeli airstrikes in the Syrian capital Damascus, which came as his administration works to stabilise the war-torn country. "The president enjoys a good working relationship with Bibi Netanyahu, and stays in frequent communication with him. He was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of a Catholic Church in Gaza," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday.
"In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations," she added.
CNN noted that despite being close allies, Trump and Netanyahu share a complicated relationship marked by periods of mutual distrust. While they cooperated closely during this summer's joint air campaign in Iran, the personal dynamic between them has remained strained.
Leavitt also pointed to diplomatic efforts in Syria led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has worked to ease tensions as the U.S. lifts sanctions and supports new Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former rebel leader, CNN reported.
Trump had hoped Netanyahu's recent visit to Washington would yield progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza, including the release of hostages held by Hamas and expanded humanitarian aid access. Despite Trump's repeated assertions that a deal was imminent, Netanyahu departed the U.S. without any announcement, CNN reported.
CNN quoted sources familiar with the negotiations as saying all parties are still awaiting a response from Hamas to the latest ceasefire and hostage release proposal. In a statement Monday, Hamas said it was "exerting all our efforts and energies around the clock" to reach an agreement.
Leavitt said Trump remains deeply concerned about the growing toll of the Gaza conflict. "The president's message on this conflict we've seen in the Middle East taking place for far too long, that has become quite brutal, especially in recent days, you've seen reports of more people dying. I think the president never likes to see that. He wants the killing to end," she said.
She further praised Trump's efforts to push humanitarian aid into Gaza. "The president is the reason that aid is even being distributed in Gaza at all," Leavitt stated, as per CNN. "He wants to see this done in a peaceful manner, where more lives are not being lost."
CNN also reported that over 1,000 people have died seeking humanitarian relief in Gaza since late May, according to local health ministry figures. Foreign ministers from 25 nations recently criticized Israel for "drip feeding" aid into the region.
"It's a very difficult and complicated situation that the president inherited because of the weakness of the last administration. And I think he should be applauded," Leavitt added. "The president wants to see peace and he's been pretty clear on that."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times of Oman
8 hours ago
- Times of Oman
US Prez Trump asks tech giants to stop building factories, hiring from India, other countries
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has called for eschewing "radical globalism" pursued by some of the country's firms, including tech giants like Google, Meta and Microsoft, among others, to "stop building factories" and "hiring workers" from countries including India. "For too long, much of our tech industry pursued a radical globalism that left millions of Americans feeling distrustful and betrayed. And you know that," Trump said. "Many of our largest tech companies have reaped the blessings of American freedom while building their factories in China, hiring workers in India, and slashing profits in Ireland. You know that. All the while dismissing and even censoring their fellow citizens right here at home," Trump said ahead of unveiling his administration's "AI Action Plan." He said this in his address to the All-In Podcast and Hill & Valley Forum AI Summit in Washington, DC on Wednesday (local time) Washington, DC. Trump signed three new executive orders: expediting permitting for AI infrastructure, boosting exports of US-developed AI, and banning federal procurement of AI systems with political or ideological bias. During his remarks at the AI Summit, Trump urged US tech companies to be "all in for America." "We want you to put America first. You have to do that. That's all we ask. That's all we ask to partner with our tech geniuses and achieving this vision. Today, we're releasing the White House AI action plan. Big stuff," Trump said. The US President said that in a few months, "Meta, Amazon, Google, Microsoft are all investing $320 billion dollars or more in data centers and AI infrastructure this year" adding that Nvidia has committed $500 billion over the next four years. "For decades, we had leaders who spent their time focused on building up foreign nations. Under the Trump administration, we are going to have leaders who are going to build up our nation. This colossal investment in AI infrastructure and many other industries for that matter such as automobiles and so many other things will also create thousands and thousands of great paying jobs. the kind of jobs we want, including lots of blue collar jobs," Trump said. Taking aim at his predecessor Joe Biden, Trump said, "The last administration was obsessed with imposing restrictions on AI, including extreme restrictions on its exports." This he said "alienated American partners and drove even our friends into the arms of China and other countries," Trump said noting that he had upon assuming office "repealed the so-called Biden diffusion rule," which crippled American AI exports. Further he said," We created the digital age, and now we are leading the world into the golden age. Indeed, the golden age of America. With your help, that golden age will be built by American workers. It will be powered by American energy. It will be run on American technology, improved by American artificial intelligence."
Times of Oman
9 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Oman condemns Israeli Knesset's approval of bill imposing sovereignty over West Bank
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman has voiced its condemnation of the Israeli Knesset's approval of a draft bill calling for the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank in Palestine. This move, Oman affirmed, represents yet another defiance of international law, the resolutions of the international community, and a deliberate undermining of Middle East peace efforts, the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, and the two-state solution. In a statement issued today by the Foreign Ministry, Oman reiterates its vehement rejection of Israel's continued enforcement of policies of blockade and starvation, as well as its obstruction of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid to the population in the Gaza Strip and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories. It holds Israel and its supporters fully responsible for the legal, humanitarian, and political consequences of these practices, which violate the international humanitarian law.
Times of Oman
13 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Columbia University to pay $200mn in settlement with Trump admin over anti-semitism claims
New York: Columbia University has agreed to pay a $200m to President Donald Trump's administration over accusations it failed to protect its Jewish students from harassment. A settlement that was reached on Wednesday and which will be paid to the federal government over three years, was announced in a statement by the university. In exchange, the government has agreed to return some of the $400m in federal grants it froze or terminated in March. In exchange for the return of hundreds of millions in research grants, Columbia will also pledge to follow laws banning the consideration of race in admissions and hiring, and follow through on other commitments to reduce antisemitism and unrest on campus that it agreed to in March, the New York Times reported. Columbia will also pay USD 21 million to settle investigations brought by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. "This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty," Claire Shipman, Columbia's acting president, said in the release. "The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track." The Trump Administration's deal with Columbia University is a seismic shift in our nation's fight to hold institutions that accept American taxpayer dollars accountable for antisemitic discrimination and harassment, US Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon said in a post on X. Trump posted on Truth Social platform: "Columbia has also committed to ending their ridiculous DEI policies, admitting students based ONLY on MERIT, and protecting the Civil Liberties of their students on campus. "Numerous other Higher Education Institutions that have hurt so many, and been so unfair and unjust, and have wrongly spent federal money, much of it from our government, are upcoming," Trump posted. As per a report in the Al Jazeera, Columbia was among dozens of US universities that were roiled by protests against Israel's war in Gaza throughout the spring and summer of 2024. Many Jewish students and faculty complained that the campus demonstrations veered into anti-Semitism, while pro-Palestinian advocates have accused critics of often wrongly conflating opposition to Israel with the hatred of Jews.
