Jerusalem – Israel Officials Say Assad Forces Behind Chemical Attack

Jerusalem – Israeli defense officials say military intelligence believes Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces were behind the suspected chemical attack that killed dozens of civilians.

The officials said Israel believes Assad has tons of chemical weapons currently in his arsenal. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday as they are not allowed to brief media.

Israel has warned against “game-changing” weapons reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon from Syria, which along with Iran supports the militant group. Last month Israel shot down an anti-aircraft missile fired at its planes as they struck a suspected Hezbollah weapons convoy.

Chemical weapons have killed hundreds of people since the start of Syria’s civil war, with the U.N. blaming three attacks on the Syrian government and a fourth on the Islamic State group.