EU foreign ministers announced a similar lifting of the aid embargo.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri accused the international community of hypocrisy, noting that Hamas defeated Fatah in parliamentary elections in 2006.

"This confirms the falseness of the international community's support for democracy," he said.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the Europeans will continue to deliver aid for Gaza - where humanitarian conditions are more dire than in the West Bank - through the United Nations or an ad hoc program whose handouts to many thousands of individual Palestinians bypass the Hamas administration.

"We absolutely have to back" the new government in the West Bank, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said. "The question of today is: How can we help the 1.4 million people in Gaza?"

Hamas officials have given no indication on how they plan to overcome their international isolation.

In a preliminary step, the Red Cross said it was allowed to ship 11 boxes of medicine into Gaza through the Erez crossing.

Fears were also alleviated in part after the sole provider of gasoline to Gaza, Israeli company Dor Alon, renewed shipments cut off last week during heavy fighting between Fatah and Hamas.

Merchant Mohammed Yaziji said he needs flour and sugar but hopeful that the shortage would be brief.

"If the enemy (Israel) closes its border, God will open the skies," he said.

Many in Gaza continued to worry, however.

"In the past few days, we had an unusual amount of people buying flour and canned goods. People think what's coming will be more bitter than what has passed," said Abu Walid, a 19-year-old shopkeeper in Gaza City.

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