End the Syria crisis, France tells Putin amid signs of chlorine used against civilians

French President Emmanuel Macron onFriday pressed Russia's Vladimir Putin to do all he can toensure the Syrian government ends a deterioratinghumanitarian crisis in eastern Ghouta and Idlib, the ElyseePalace said in a statement.

"The president stressed the need to overcome obstaclesblocking negotiations and start a credible political process inthe coming weeks under the auspice of the United Nations towardrebuilding peace, stability and unity in Syria," the Frenchpresidency statement said.

Chemical weapons a 'red line'

Standing beside Putin in Versailles last summer, Macron saidany use of chemical weapons represented a "red line" and thatParis could launch unilateral airstrikes against targets inSyria if it were crossed.

Syria suffers bloody week in ongoing brutal conflict

7 years ago

Duration 1:24

Human rights group says 229 people killed in four days

Meanwhile, earlier this week, the UN called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Syria of atleast a month, as heavy airstrikes were reported to have killedscores of people in the last major rebel stronghold nearDamascus.

UNwar crimes experts also said they were investigating several reports of bombs allegedly containingchlorine gas being used against civilians in the rebel-heldtowns of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib and Doumain the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday'sbombardment of Eastern Ghouta had killed 63 people. A localofficial, Khalil Aybour, put the toll at 53. On Monday, airstrikes killed 30 people in Eastern Ghouta,the observatory said.

"Today there is no safe area at all. This is a key pointpeople should know: there is no safe space," Siraj Mahmoud, head of the Civil Defence rescue service in opposition-heldrural Damascus, told Reuters.