Syrian troops have shelled and raided opposition strongholds nationwide, activists said, prompting an urgent appeal by international envoy Kofi Annan to the Syrian regime to halt violence "without conditions" and give his truce plan a chance.
"You're not going to have a truce.
"They have a truce," Baer said.
Let's just make a truce".
In the gloomiest assessment, Asaad al-Zoubi, head of the HNC's delegation to the peace talks, gave a gloomy assessment of the truce.
Still, as fighting in the Gaza Strip gave way to a truce on Tuesday, Israel and Hamas both were quick to claim victory.
Syria's foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi gave a qualified response to Brahimi's call for a truce.
Israel has put plans for a ground operation in Gaza "on hold" to give talks to secure a truce with Hamas militants a chance, officials say.
Mr Osborne's intervention came after Euro-sceptic backbenchers shattered the Tory truce on Europe with a call for Parliament to be given a veto over EU legislation.
