In Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Israel and the moderate Palestinian Authority, Hamas' rival, accepted the plan. However, the Palestinian Authority is not a direct party to the conflict.

Turkey has already been asked to put together an international force in Gaza, according to a Mideastern diplomat familiar with the country's efforts to end the conflict. He said the responsibilities of the force were yet to be determined. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, and Turkish officials would not immediately comment.

Hamas and Israel voiced reservations, and the Bush administration also withheld firm backing. "What we are seeking is a cease-fire that would actually last," said White House press secretary Dana Perino.

At a news conference, President-elect Barack Obama deferred to President George W. Bush on the Gaza conflict. Obama has insisted that he would allow the current chief executive to deal with foreign policy matters until the Jan. 20 inauguration.

"We can't have two administrations running foreign policy at the same time. We simply can't do it," Obama said. "The silence is not as a consequence of a lack of concern. In fact, it's not silence. ... I've explained very clearly what institutional constraints I'm under when it comes to this issue."

Israel briefly suspended its offensive Wednesday to allow humanitarian supplies to reach Gaza, and Israeli officials said such lulls would be declared on a regular basis, depending on security.

The pause in fighting came amid growing warnings by the World Bank and aid groups of a humanitarian crisis. The Word Bank said there is a severe shortage of drinking water and that the sewage system is under growing strain.

During Wednesday's lull, Israel allowed in 80 trucks of supplies from various donors as well as industrial fuel for Gaza's power plant. Medics tried to retrieve bodies in areas that had previously been too dangerous to approach.

Medic Mohammed Azayzeh in central Gaza pulled out three people, killed by shrapnel fire Sunday, from the border town of Mughraqa, where Israeli tanks had settled nearby. The medic said he also found a dead family of three, including a father cradling a 1-year-old boy.

Ambulance sirens wailed as drivers rushed to the border crossing with Egypt to evacuate the wounded during relative drop in violence.

Despite the new cease-fire efforts, Israel's security Cabinet decided Wednesday to push ahead with the offensive, according to participants who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to discuss the content of such meetings.

The military has called up thousands of reserve troops that it could use to expand the Gaza offensive, supporting the three brigade-size formations of regular troops now inside.