Israel's President urges world to 'take out' chemicals

Israeli President Shimon Peres called on Sunday for an international effort to “take out” chemical weapons in Syria after claims president Bashar al-Assad’s regime used them in a deadly attack.

Israeli President Shimon Peres called on Sunday for an international effort to “take out” chemical weapons in Syria after claims president Bashar al-Assad’s regime used them in a deadly attack.

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“The time has come to make a joint effort to take out all the chemical weapons from Syria,” Peres said, without elaborating if he envisioned this being achieved through military strikes or otherwise.

The chemical arms, Peres said, “cannot remain there, whether in the hands of Assad or the others.”

“It’s very complicated, very expensive, but it will be more expensive and more dangerous to keep” the situation as it is, said the Israeli leader. Doctors Without Borders said 355 people of the thousands treated at three hospitals died with “neurotoxic” symptoms stemming from attacks on Wednesday near Damascus.

The Assad regime and its opponents accuse each other of carrying out the attacks. “I think it’s unprecedented what’s happening in Syria,” said Peres.

“I can’t believe that there has been the most unbelievable war crime which is the use of chemical weapons to kill hundreds of women and children,” he said.