Shafaq News/ US President Donald Trump did not inform Israel in advance of his decision to meet Syria's transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa or to lift sanctions on Damascus, Axios reported on Friday.

During a meeting at the White House last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Trump to maintain economic sanctions on Syria, warning of the growing influence of Turkiye in the region.

Nevertheless, Trump went ahead with the meeting during his recent Middle East tour, which included visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.

Following the meeting, Trump announced the removal of US sanctions on Syria, describing the move as an effort to “give the Syrian people a real chance to rise and recover.”

The US Treasury Department later confirmed it had begun coordinating with the State Department and the National Security Council to implement Trump’s directive to lift the economic restrictions originally imposed in response to the former Syrian regime’s actions under Bashar al-Assad.

Meanwhile, Israel Hayom reported that Netanyahu has formed a special team to respond to what the paper described as a “sudden political shift.” The report also noted that Israel is preparing for a broad diplomatic and media campaign in reaction to the US decision.