Gaza, February 3, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha'ath arrived in Gaza on Wednesday afternoon via the Erez crossing, it was his first visit to the area since the Hamas take-over in 2007 and marks the first time a Fatah member visited the Strip since the sixth Fatah conference in August.

The trip came amidst controversy, with Hamas officials threatening to require permits before Fatah leaders are allowed to enter. The governor of the central Gaza Strip, Abdullah Abu Samhadana, publicly objected to the rumored ban, saying Palestinians should always have the right to return to their homeland no matter what political party they are from.

Officials expect Sha'th will be in Gaza for several days, and sources said he would hold meetings with members of all political groups including Hamas, likely around issues of reconciliation.

The representative of independents in Gaza, Yasser Al-Wadiya, called the visit a great effort to end the division between parties. Al-Wadiya was one of the members of the welcoming committee who received Sha'ath, along with other independents including Muhammad Mady, Abdel Aziz Al-Shakaky and Muhammad Abu Ziyadeh.

Al-Wadiyah called for investigations into why the unity talks have so far failed, and urged both sides to drop pretenses and bring together all Palestinians in the interest of the national struggle.