The international community is pressuring Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime on all fronts against its bloody crackdown on antigovernment protests.

Arabic media say at least 500 have died in the western Syrian city of Homs due to the violent crackdown on protesters by government troops for more than a week.

The foreign ministers of 22 members of the Arab League have held an emergency meeting as the violence escalates and the death toll rises. The ministers requested that the U.N. Security Council send joint peacekeeping troops from the U.N. and the Arab League to Syria.

In Washington, White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew says the collapse of the Assad regime is only a matter of time, and the U.S. “will pursue all avenues” it can as the Assad regime is unacceptable and has to end.

Al-Qaeda and armed Muslim forces have also declared their support for the protesters in Syria, increasing pressure on President Assad.