In Syria, the United Nations is renewing its call for a nationwide ceasefire to deliver critical humanitarian aid.

RHEAL LEBLANC UN SPOKESMAN "The U.N. continues to be very preoccupied about the situation in Syria and keeps emphasizing the need for a pause to enable as much humanitarian assistance to go in and give a break to people who have been trapped in this conflict for so long. You know, the U.N. remains extremely concerned by this continued intense fighting in eastern Ghouta especially, and its impact on close to 400,000 civilians in the besieged enclave."

Earlier, the French defense minister made a similar demand to open humanitarian corridors. The rebel-held area of Eastern Ghouta -- a suburb of Damascus -- has been hit hard by government warplanes over the past four days. Airstrikes have reportedly killed more than 220 people -- the war's biggest toll in one week since 2015.