Gunshots were heard as dozens of Palestinians, mostly women, stormed the Rafah border crossing. They had been demanding that Egyptian authorities open the border to allow in basic goods lacking since Israel imposed a blockade of the enclave on Friday in response to rocket attacks by Hamas militants.
There were unconfirmed reports of injuries, and Egypt later sent about 300 riot police to increase security on the border.
The radical Islamic movement Hamas seized control of the enclave, with a population of 1.5 million, in June.
The Rafah border crossing only functions in the presence of European Union monitors, which have refused to open the crossing as long as the enclave is controlled by Hamas, listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union.
The Gaza Strip's sole power generating plant resumed operations on Tuesday after Israel eased its blockade of the enclave for a day to allow fuel in, a plant spokesman said.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said a temporary lifting of the Gaza blockade was "insufficient."
International criticism of the blockade has been widespread, with UN officials saying that Israel was imposing "collective punishment" on Gaza's 1.5 million people.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had earlier stated that life would not be "pleasant or comfortable" for those in Gaza if rocket attacks on Israel continued.
