FRANCE has proof that the Assad regime carried out the poison gas attack on the Damascus suburb of Douma, its President, Emmanuel Macron, has insisted.

He did not reveal the source of his information but noted: "We have proof that last week chemical weapons, at least chlorine, were used by the regime of Bashar al-Assad."

Asked whether or not France would join any US-led strikes on Syria, Mr Macron replied on the French television channel TF1: "We will need to take decisions in due course, when we judge it most useful and effective.

"France will not allow any escalation that could harm stability in the region," he declared but then said: “Regimes that think they can do everything they want, including the worst things that violate international law, cannot be allowed to act."

READ MORE: Parliament must have a say on military intervention in Syria

The French President has made the use of chemical weapons in Syria a “red line” and stressed how one of his aims in Syria was to “remove the regime’s chemical attack capabilities”.

In Washington, Donald Trump again took to Twitter. Having said on Wednesday that Russia should “get ready” for a missile strike, today he was more uncertain; perhaps deliberately so.

The US President tweeted: “"Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all! In any event, the United States, under my Administration, has done a great job of ridding the region of ISIS. Where is our "Thank you America?"

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has warned Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, that Syria's neighbouring countries must "show restraint", after claims Israel was behind a recent air strike on a Syrian air base.

"President Putin spoke on the phone with @netanyahu on the latter's initiative, stressing the need for Syria's neighbours to show restraint, avoiding actions that could destabilize this war-torn country and respect its sovereignty and integrity," Alexander Yakovenko, Russia’s ambassador to the UK, tweeted.

READ MORE: MPs: Parliament must have a say on military intervention in Syria

At home, Theresa May was preparing to hold an emergency Cabinet meeting in Downing Street. Having dodged questions yesterday about whether or not the UK would engage in military strikes against the Assad regime, her language nonetheless appeared to point in one direction.

She explained how all the indications were that the Syrian Government was behind the suspected chemical attack on Douma, that those responsible needed to be held to account and that there had to be an international response.

Pressure continued to mount on her for MPs to have the deciding say on British involvement through a Commons vote but suggestions have been made that the Prime Minister might be minded to deploy UK resources without such parliamentary approval.

Jeremy Corbyn raised the spectre of the Iraq war as he insisted MPs should have their say.

"Parliament must be consulted on this,” declared the Labour leader.

“Surely the lessons of Iraq, the lessons that came there from the Chilcott Report, are that there's got to be a proper process of consultation.”

He went on: "We elect Parliament, we elect Members of Parliament. They should have a voice in this. Cabinet on its own should not be making this decision.

"The dangers of bombing now, which could escalate the conflict beyond belief. Just imagine the scenario if an American missile shoots down a Russian plane or vice versa. Where do we go from there?"

Sir Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat leader, agreed, saying: "Parliament can and should be recalled immediately and a vote held on this issue.

"The position is a very dangerous one because of Russian involvement, also because we have an erratic President of the United States."

READ MORE: MPs: Parliament must have a say on military intervention in Syria

Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, insisted Mrs May needed to get the consent of Parliament before taking further military action in Syria, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There is no mandate for the Government to take this action.

"And, I would simply say to the Prime Minister: be very careful because you do not have a majority in Parliament.

"You are a minority Government and you need to seek the consent of Parliament before you commit the United Kingdom to any action," added the Highland MP.

Veteran Conservative Ken Clarke also called for a parliamentary vote on any military action, telling BBC Radio 4's World at One: "In a modern, parliamentary democracy, you have got to have parliamentary approval if you have a planned, policy decision to launch a military attack of any significant size.

"To say that Parliament is just sidelined before you take such a serious decision is a very retrograde step. It makes parliamentary accountability fairly pathetic," insisted the former Chancellor.

READ MORE: MPs: Parliament must have a say on military intervention in Syria

Meanwhile, David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, insisted no decision had yet been taken on UK involvement in military action. He described the situation in Syria as horrific and said the use of chemical weapons was something that the world had to prevent.

“But also it is a very, very delicate circumstance, and we've got to make this judgement on a very careful, very deliberate, very well thought-through basis, knowing exactly...how strong the evidence is,” he explained.

Mr Davis suggested that he had changed his mind since he voted against Syrian intervention in 2013 when David Cameron was Prime Minister.

Outlining the reasons why he voted against, he said: “One was because he hadn't provided the evidence and intelligence that we knew who it was, and secondly because there was not a proper plan which was thought through properly. Those two things I am assured we're going to answer today.”