WASHINGTON

The Trump administration is concerned that Israel's repeated strikes inside Syria risk destabilizing the country and undermining hopes of an Israel-Syria security agreement, the Axios news site reported Monday.

The report, citing two senior US officials, came after US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call to discuss regional issues.

Earlier Monday, Trump urged Israel to maintain a "strong and true dialogue" with Syria, saying it is very important that "nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria's evolution into a prosperous state."

The president also praised Syria's leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying he is “working diligently” to ensure that “good things happen” for both countries.

Washington is seeking to ease tensions between Israel and Syria following an Israeli raid last Friday in which 13 Syrians were killed and six Israeli soldiers were injured in the village of Beit Jinn in southern Syria.

"The Syrians were going nuts. Their own constituents demanded retaliation because Syrian civilians were killed," a US official said, according to Axios.

The officials told Axios that the White House did not receive prior notice of the Israeli operation and that the Israelis didn't warn Syria through military channels as they have in past cases.

"Syria doesn't want problems with Israel. This isn't Lebanon," a senior US official said, according to Axios. "But Bibi is seeing ghosts everywhere," the official said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.

"We are trying to tell Bibi he has to stop this, because if it continues, he will self-destruct, miss a huge diplomatic opportunity and turn the new Syrian government into an enemy," the official added, the report said.

Since December 2024, Syria has recorded more than 1,000 Israeli airstrikes and over 400 cross-border raids, as well as Israel’s expansion of its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated a 1974 agreement.