The United States is doing "everything in our power" to end the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday, as he kept up contacts with regional leaders.

The United States is doing "everything in our power" to end the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday, as he kept up contacts with regional leaders.

"Our concern is to have a 'legitimate' ceasefire and see if we can find a way to stop the conflict and killing so we can get to the real issues that are underlying it," Kerry told reporters as he met his counterpart from Luxembourg.

"And we're doing everything in our power," said Kerry, adding that he has been speaking to Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Arab officials.

The State Department said that Kerry in the past day has spoken to the foreign ministers of Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and to Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi.