France's Macron calls for U.N.-backed political resolution to Syrian war

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed concern on Tuesday over Syrian government strikes carried out in Idlib and he called for a U.N.-backed political resolution to the war. "Grave concerns over the escalation of violence in Syria and the region of Idlib. The strikes by the regime and its allies, including on hospitals, have killed numerous civilians in recent days," Macron wrote on his Twitter page.

The upsurge in violence in the Idlib area has strained a Russian-Turkish deal that had staved off a government offensive since September. The area is part of the last major foothold of the Syrian rebellion.