Tel Aviv  - Several members of Hamas' armed wing were among the more than 46 people killed at a UN school in the northern Gaza refugee camp of Jabaliya, a military spokesman in Tel Aviv charged.

He said Israel had the names of two of the Hamas militants killed, Imad Abu Askar and Hassan Abu Askar, and said that according to Israeli information they were members of a Hamas' rocket and mortar launching squad.

New York  - Dow Chemical Co, the largest US chemical maker, said Tuesday it plans to seek more than 2.5 billion dollars in damages from Kuwait for cancelling a joint venture just days before its launch.

A 17.4-billion-dollar deal between Kuwait's state-run Petrochemical Industries Co (PIC) and Dow fell through on December 28. The joint venture would have enabled Dow to acquire rival Rohm & Haas, the world's largest maker of acrylic paint ingredients. Dow would have gained about 7.5 billion dollars after taxes from Kuwait's investment.

Washington  - The United States urged Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday to end their dispute over natural gas supplies that has caused a sharp decline in shipments throughout Europe.

"Russia and Ukraine should get together, come to the table, work out the differences that exist between them in what would appear to be a commercial dispute," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

Zagreb  - Jean-Baptiste Gra

London  - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Tuesday described the fighting in Gaza as the "darkest moment yet for the Middle East" but said he was hopeful that a ceasefire could be reached.

"We must work hard in the next few hours - and days - to reach a ceasefire," Brown told reporters in Downing Street.

He said he had been discussing the situation with fellow world leaders, including from Egypt and Turkey, and had put forward proposals for making progress.