Egypt's new president must help lift the siege on Gaza by allowing more fuel to enter the coastal enclave, a senior Hamas figure said Wednesday.

Ismail Radwan made the comments during a demonstration in the Gaza Strip, adding that the Arab community has a responsibility to help ease humanitarian problems in Gaza.

The international community must also increase pressure on Israel to end the blockade on Gaza, he added.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Israeli officials during her visit to the country on Monday that Muhammad Mursi had promised her he would not end the closure of the Gaza Strip, an Israeli news site said.

Officials in the Gaza Strip have expressed optimism that Mursi, whose Muslim Brotherhood party is close to Gaza rulers Hamas, would break a hole in the blockade by fully opening the Rafah border.

It was shut in 2006 under Israel and Egypt's blockade of the enclave, but reopened in May 2011, three months after former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was ousted by massive street protests against his rule.

Gaza has been plagued by a fuel crisis since mid-February, when Egypt cut off supplies via a tunnel network under the border between the countries.

In May, a ship loaded with about 30 million-liters of fuel as a donation from Qatar, docked at Suez port but its transfer to Gaza was held up as the sides argued over the route of its delivery to Gaza. Hamas wanted the fuel to come through its Rafah crossing with Egypt, bypassing Israel.

The sole power plant in Gaza shut down again in June after it ran out of fuel while the Qatari shipment was delayed.

(Ma'an)