White House fury: Trump aides "scolded" Netanyahu over Gaza hit

The United States has issued a stern diplomatic rebuke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over an assassination in Gaza that Washington views as a violation of the ongoing ceasefire. According to reports from Axios, US officials warned that the strike damaged not only the truce but also the credibility of President Donald Trump as a mediator.

A blunt warning from the White House

Citing two US officials, the report states that White House officials "scolded" Netanyahu following the targeted killing of Hamas commander Raid Saad. The message was unequivocal: "If you want to tarnish your own credibility and show you don't abide by agreements, fine, but we won't let you tarnish the credibility of President Trump, who mediated the Gaza deal." Israeli media also reported that Trump's aides were furious, with one newspaper describing a torrent of "curses" aimed at the Israeli leader. This incident has exposed a significant rift, with US officials suggesting key figures like Jared Kushner and Special Representative Steve Witkoff are "fed up" with Netanyahu's uncompromising stance.

Broader frustrations: isolation and regional diplomacy

The friction extends beyond Gaza. US officials reportedly characterized Israel as becoming a "pariah state" due to its actions in the West Bank, Gaza, and Syria, which are seen as flouting international law. They pointed to Netanyahu's isolation, noting that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi refuses to meet him and that he remains unwelcome in the UAE years after the Abraham Accords. A senior US official warned, "If Netanyahu doesn't want to take the necessary steps to reduce tensions, we will not waste our time trying to expand the Abraham Accords."

Syria talks and Türkiye's regional role

The dispute also involves Syria policy. US officials believe Israel's cross-border strikes undermine efforts to stabilize the country under President Ahmad al-Sharaa and hinder a potential new security arrangement. Following the Gaza reprimand, US Special Representative Tom Barrack met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem to deliver Trump's messages on Syria before traveling to Ankara for talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. This sequence underscores Türkiye's critical role as a key stakeholder and diplomatic channel in addressing regional stability, from Gaza to Syria, aligning with its calls for a coherent strategy that respects sovereignty and ends cycles of violence.