Abbas Rejects Offer From Hamas To Visit Gaza Strip

AMMAN, Jordan — The Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, rejected a suggestion by a leader of Hamas that he should visit the Gaza Strip and reconcile with the militant group, which seized control of the enclave last year.

"There is no answer and there does not need to be an answer," Mr. Abbas said yesterday in Jordan's capital, Amman, after meeting with Secretary of State Rice.

Hamas's leader in Damascus, Khaled Meshaal, made the suggestion in an interview with Sky News. "We invite Mr. Mahmoud Abbas to come to Gaza to talk directly without any conditions," Mr. Meshaal told the British network.

Hamas won a majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament in January 2006 and Abbas formed a coalition government with the group, which America designates as a terrorist organization for its attacks on Israel. In June last year, Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip and the coalition with Mr. Abbas's Fatah movement fell apart. Mr. Abbas has since governed the West Bank from the city of Ramallah.

Mr. Abbas and Ms. Rice met yesterday at the home of the Palestinian Authority ambassador to Jordan, Atallah Khairy, in Amman's fashionable Abdoun neighborhood.

Ms. Rice has shuttled between Mr. Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert the past three days to help push forward negotiations on a final peace agreement and to help ease conditions for Palestinian Arabs in the West Bank. Mr. Abbas said he would meet next with Mr. Olmert on April 7.