The Trump administration is reportedly alarmed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent aggression on Syria, which several senior officials have described as reckless and destabilizing.

"Bibi acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time," one White House official told Axios on Monday. Another added, "He’s a child who just won't behave."

Frustration grew following the Israeli shelling of the Holy Family Church in Gaza, which prompted US President Donald Trump to call Netanyahu personally.

"The feeling is that every day there is something new. What the f**?" a senior official told Axios, describing the White House’s growing exasperation.

Israeli strikes on Syria ignite rift

Tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv reportedly escalated after Israeli forces bombed a convoy of Syrian army tanks near Suweida on Tuesday. The strike came amid fierce clashes between Druze militants and armed Bedouin tribes that reportedly killed over 1,000 people, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"Israel" alleged the Syrian convoy had entered a demilitarized zone and accused the Syrian army of aiding attacks on the Druze community, an accusation the Syrian government denies.

Despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States, "Israel" resumed airstrikes after only a brief pause. On Wednesday, bombs hit the Syrian military headquarters and areas near the presidential palace. In an effort to end the Israeli aggression, US envoy Tom Barrack had explicitly asked "Israel" to stand down and allow diplomacy to proceed. Even though Israeli officials initially agreed, the strikes resumed within hours.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio intervened to urge a halt, but Netanyahu conditioned any cessation on the Syrian army’s full withdrawal from Sweida, while the US officials viewed this demand as a political maneuver rather than a strategic necessity.

Netanyahu’s agendas frustrate Washington

Within the White House, officials increasingly believe that Netanyahu’s actions are driven more by domestic political considerations than regional stability. "Bibi’s political agenda is driving his senses. It will turn out to be a big mistake for him long-term," one official told Axios. Another offered Axios a more blunt remark: "The Israelis need to get their head out of their asses."

While top aides voiced concern privately, Trump has so far refrained from public criticism. "The bombing in Syria caught the president and the White House by surprise," one official commented to Axios, adding that "He doesn’t like turning on the television and seeing bombs dropped in a country he is seeking peace in and made a monumental announcement to help rebuild."

Behind closed doors, close Trump allies like Tom Barrack and White House envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly expressed alarm over Netanyahu’s strategy and its potential to derail diplomatic efforts.

The strikes came just days after Netanyahu visited Washington and met with Trump twice in the wake of "Israel’s" unprovoked war on Iran, underscoring what officials now view as an increasingly unpredictable ally.

Growing strains over settler violence and strategic drift

Further complicating relations was the killing of Palestinian-American Saif Musallet by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. The incident prompted a rare rebuke from US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a staunch ally of the Israeli right. Huckabee labeled the attack "terrorism" and called for accountability, while also criticizing the Israeli government for limiting travel visas for American evangelical visitors.

An Israeli official, speaking to Axios, attempted to defend the strikes on Syria: "The US wants to keep the new Syrian government stable and doesn't understand why we attack in Syria, because of attacks on the Druze community there. We tried to explain that this is our commitment to the Druze community in Israel."

But US officials are not convinced. "The current Israeli policy would lead to an unstable Syria," one warned via Axios. "Both the Druze community and Israel will lose in such a scenario."

This episode is the latest in a string of high-risk decisions by Netanyahu, who recently launched an unprovoked war on Iran and continues to carry out a genocide in Gaza in defiance of Trump’s diplomatic initiatives.

While those gambles have sometimes worked in Netanyahu’s favor, US officials now fear that he may be overreaching. "Netanyahu’s luck, and Trump’s goodwill, could run out," cautioned one source.