The US and the European Union have agreed to withhold recognition of the new Palestinian unity government.
Speaking after talks in Washington, both the American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and the EU Foreign Policy Chief, Javier Solana, renewed their call for the government to recognise Israel and renounce violence.
Mr Solana said that the EU would be closely monitoring the actions of the new government.
Condoleezza Rice criticised the new Hamas-Fatah administration for continuing to defend what it called the right to resist Israel's occupation.
