White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement Monday evening saying that US President Donald Trump was disturbed by the death toll in the Gaza Strip. "In recent days we've seen reports that more and more people are dying in Gaza. The president never likes to see that. He wants the killing to end, and he wants to negotiate a ceasefire in this region. He wants to see all of the hostages released from Gaza," she said.
Leavitt also addressed Israel's recent airstrikes in Syria, saying, "The president enjoys a good relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu and is in close contact with him, but he was surprised by the attacks in Syria and by the strike on the Catholic church in Gaza."
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Regarding the broader conflict, Leavitt reiterated the administration's concern: "The president's message about the conflict in the Middle East is that it has gone on too long. It's become brutal, especially in recent days, with reports of more and more people being killed. The president never wants to see that. He wants the killing to stop."
Leavitt emphasized the president's desire to end the fighting and bring back the hostages: "He wants to negotiate a ceasefire in the region, and he wants all hostages released from Gaza." She added that this had been a top priority for the president over the past six months. "We've seen many hostages released, including the last remaining living American hostage, Eidan Alexander. This was the result of diplomatic efforts and the administration's approach to ending this conflict."
