Hillary Clinton will face intense questioning today about how Barack Obama intends to confront the crisis in the Middle East at her Senate confirmation hearing for her new job as Secretary of State.

The former First Lady has also been told by Republicans that she will be pressed about her husband's foreign financial ties and the potential conflict of interest in her dealings with governments that have donated to his charitable foundation.

Aides to Mrs Clinton said last night that she would promise a renewal of American leadership and revitalised diplomacy, and emphasise "smart power" as a break with the Bush Administration.

"She believes, as does the President-elect [Obama], that diplomacy must be at the forefront of US foreign policy, and that it must be balanced with military power in ways that work for the 21st century," the aide said.

Such talk will mean little among Israelis and the Palestinians. They will be watching for every hint and nuance that she might give during the Senate hearing as to how she, as America's top diplomat, and Mr Obama, intend to tackle the crisis in Gaza, particularly after the President-elect's studied silence on the conflict.

He has promised to tackle the Middle East on "day one" of coming to office, but indicated during an interview on Sunday that he would not break significantly with the Bush Administration's overall stance toward the region.

Mrs Clinton is expected to give away little, but there will be particular focus on how the new Administration will deal with Hamas. Officially, Mr Obama has ruled out direct negotiations, but there will be an increased focus on Egypt with the new Administration to help to moderate between Israel and the Islamist organisation, which still refuses to recognises Israel's right to exist.

As a senator from New York, Mrs Clinton — like Mr Obama in recent months — has been unequivocal in her support for Israel, but Palestinians are hoping that she and the new president will moderate their positions once in office.

Mrs Clinton will also be at pains not to undermine Mr Obama, or contradict him, after their protracted primary battle in which she called him naive in matters of foreign policy. She will also face questions on Mr Obama's promise to close Guantánamo Bay and the speed at which she envisions the new Administration pulling US combat troops out of Iraq.

Her confirmation is all but assured, yet a handful of Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will focus on her husband Bill Clinton's foreign philanthropic ties. He agreed this month to allow ethics officials at the State Department to review overseas contributions made to his charity once a year.

Last month, the former president made public more than 200,000 donors to his foundation, which included the Saudi Royal Family and the governments of Kuwait and Qatar. Republican senators, including Jim DeMint and David Vitter, are expected to focus on potential conflicts of interest that might arise from Mrs Clinton's negotiating with foreign leaders who have given money to her husband's charities.

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