Brazilian diplomatic chief Celso Amorim spoke by telephone about the possible ministerial meeting with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, as well as Amorim's French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner, and Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.

They discussed "possibly convening a ministerial meeting hosted by Brazil and France to discuss the crisis," said a ministry spokesman.

The meeting was to be held as soon as possible, even if the location and the participants have not yet been confirmed, the spokesman added.

Earlier Tuesday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slammed the United Nations and the United States for failing to get a resolution passed to stop the Gaza violence, and called for an emergency U.N. session to do so.

"What has been made clear is that the U.N. does not have the strength to pass a resolution that can achieve peace in that place.

"And it doesn't have the strength because the United States has veto power and that is why things do not get done," charged Lula, whose country aspires to a seat on a reformed U.N. Security Council.

U.S. President George W. Bush spoke from Texas with Abbas and Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad to discuss efforts for a "sustainable ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip, U.S. officials said.

But Brazil's president flatly charged U.S. efforts at mediating "are not working."

"We are going to work and make a huge effort, with other countries, so that those people stop killing each other," Lula said.

The Security Council on Sunday passed a non-binding statement that urged an immediate end to violence in Gaza and urged the parties "to stop immediately all military activities."

But Israeli officials have warned that the bombing raids which have killed at least 373 Palestinians in Gaza and four people in Israel, could continue for weeks, while Hamas militants remained defiant, firing more deadly rockets into Israel and threatening to step up the attacks.

Lula said that "it is true Hamas is a very radical group. But it is also true that Israel's military might next to Palestine's is like one person standing there with a match while the other has a bomb, just so much greater."