A Fatah official on Monday announced he would visit the Gaza Strip despite a recent condition the territory's Islamic rulers have put on any Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah member.

"Gaza is part of the home, so I don't need to ask for a visa, a permission or a special license from anyone," said Nabil Shaath, a member of Fatah's Central Committee.

Shaath said that Abbas has assigned him to visit Gaza and he would do this "soon."

Earlier, Fathi Hammad, Hamas' interior minister, said that any member of Fatah should get a written permission from the deposed Hamas government before coming to Gaza.

Hamas has been in control of the Gaza Strip since it routed pro- Abbas forces and ousted Fatah in deadly fighting in June 2007. Abbas' rule has been confined to the West Bank since then.

Meanwhile, Shaath said he "might meet" with members of Hamas' government which Abbas has sacked following the Gaza takeover. "I will meet anyone wishing to sit with me; I will meet my people, my fellows and Hamas' sons and all the other factions."

Abbas had imposed a ban on direct talks with Hamas unless Egypt invited the two sides into dialogue in February 2009. But in October, Hamas refused an Egyptian proposal for reconciliation while Fatah signed the offer.

(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2010)