PALESTINE - Aug 23 - Abbas Denies Secret Talks With Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denies recent Israeli media reports that secret peace talks have made progress on some of the most sensitive issues at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the latest account, the Israeli daily Haaretz said that Israel had proposed to the Palestinians a corridor linking the West Bank with the Gaza Strip in an exchange of territory. The report, citing unidentified Israeli government officials, said the secret talks were aimed at reaching the outlines of a peace deal before an upcoming US-sponsored regional conference. Abbas' office called the Haaretz report "baseless". In a statement, it said, "there is no secret channel and what was published about scenarios and expectations in some Israeli media is not true". It said Abbas has made his positions clear in meetings with Israeli PM Ehud Olmert and repeated to the media. "These talks have not reached a level of negotiations with details, as was reported in Israeli newspapers". The Palestinians consider a territorial link between Gaza and the West Bank to be vital for establishing an independent state. The two territories are located on either end of Israel, creating security issues for Israel that have become even more complicated since Hamas took control of Gaza in June. Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group. According to Haaretz, the Palestinians will have control of the ...