World powers struggled Tuesday to find ways to press Israel and Hamas to end their conflict despite widespread anger over the mounting toll. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice renewed calls for a halt to the fighting during telephone talks, Moscow said.
They were to join a conference call with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, France's Bernard Kouchner, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and senior Middle East envoy Tony Blair, the European Commission said.