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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 19:38 25/10/2007 Israel denies Abbas claim it has been holding talks with Hamas By The Associated Press Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday officials from the Islamist group Hamas were holding meetings with Israel to end the blockade of Gaza and ease access for goods and people. Israel denied the meetings had taken place, saying there was a policy of avoiding contact with Hamas. Advertisement Asked by Al-Arabiya television if he was aware of such meetings, Abbas said: "There are meetings taking place between Hamas and Israel, there were meetings held on Erez (crossing point) and there are ongoing meetings in other places." Abbas, speaking in the Jordanian capital Amman after talks with King Abdullah, gave no further details of the Gaza discussions. Defense Ministry Official Shlomo Dror said: "This is absolutely untrue. We do not have any meetings with Hamas. Indeed, there is a strict policy of avoiding all contacts with Hamas." "The last meeting we held with Palestinians at Erez was with businesspeople who have no connections to Hamas. These were people known to us. "We don't have security information on every single person. If we find out someone is from Hamas, we have nothing to do with him," he added. Hamas seized control of the enclave in June after fighting with Abbas's security forces. Israel declared Gaza an "enemy entity" in September as the Islamist movement refused to halt firing makeshift rockets into Israel. Israel has closed the Gaza border to everything but humanitarian supplies since Hamas routed Abbas's forces. 8 low-ranking PA officers on trial for their role in Gaza takeover Eight-lower ranking Palestinian security officers were tried Thursday for abandoning their posts during the Hamas takeover of Gaza, prompting defense complaints that they were being turned into scapegoats for senior officials responsible for the debacle. It was the first trial stemming from the week of fighting in June, in which the Islamic militant Hamas routed the forces loyal to moderate Abbas, the head of Fatah. Many Fatah loyalists, including security officers and leading politicians, fled Gaza. Those who escaped first and left low-level officers uncovered are enjoying their freedom in Europe and Egypt while those low officers are on trial, said defense lawyer Abdel Karim Hamad. The lawyer did not refer to these leaders by name. However, former Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan is currently in Europe, and Abbas' top security official in Gaza, Rashid Abu Shbak, lives in Egypt. Several other senior officers now live in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The most senior of those standing trial Thursday was a colonel. A verdict by a military court in the West Bank town of Jericho was expected later in the day. If convicted, they face life in prison. Hamad said the proceedings amounted to a show trial and accused the Palestinian Authority of deflecting its responsibility. After the Gaza takeover, Abbas had appointed a committee to investigate the defeat of his security forces. It was not clear whether others would be charged. Hamas granted amnesty to Fatah fighters after its takeover. Still, several Fatah activists were killed in the aftermath. Initially, Israel allowed about 50 senior Fatah officials to flee to the West Bank after the takeover. Scores of other officials fled to Egypt, hoping to reach the West Bank through Jordan. Bookmark to del.icio.us Halle's Jewish joke So Halle Berry told a Jewish joke. Is it really so bad? Does it make her an anti-Semite? Majadele's concession In an interview, the minister says Israel must pay the price for peace with the Arab world.   1.   LAKSHMI AND THE RESISTANCE 15:20  |  Brant 25/10/07   2.   So no negotiations about Shalit then? 15:34  |  Chris Linthwaite 25/10/07   3.   True accusations 16:04  |  Rashid 25/10/07   4.   Abbas is worried about his future vs Hamas, looking for an excuse 17:02  |  Winston C. 25/10/07   5.   gaza 8 17:14  |  joe 25/10/07   6.   The quislings & the cowards failed in their attempts to break the 17:29  |  lakshmi 25/10/07   7.   remember when they were saying the same thing about the p.l.o 20:15  |  chaim schonbrun 25/10/07   8.   Abbas, under the advise of Abbu Allah, is trying to pull 21:52  |  Galina 25/10/07   9.   Abbas Wants To Surrender To Hamas 01:18  |  dyinglikeflies 26/10/07   10.   Lakshmi # 6 01:54  |  ChanahS 26/10/07   11.   Abbas is currently talking to Hamas 03:19  |  Avi 26/10/07   12.   10Chanah S. have you seen videos of Hamas men being beaten to 12:44  |  lakshmi 26/10/07   13.   #12 Hey Lakshmi---you are still slogging! 23:30  |  ballistic 26/10/07

Today Online Experts: Syria cleared site hit by IAF in effort to hide evidence Responses: 183 Palestinians set fire to West Bank synagogue for second time Responses: 225 Rosner: Bush will lose Republican support if he pressures Israel Responses: 102 Harel and Issacharoff: Israel seeks to block Abbas route to Hamas Responses: 79 Yoni Goldstein: Despite Lieberman efforts, Montreal Jews aren't going anywhere Responses: 16 Rosner's Domain * Pressure on Iran - and the international community * WTR: Weakening Israeli support for peace process * Is Haaretz really better than the New York Times? * Republican leaders aren't happy with Bush's peace process More Headlines 23:00 Olmert vows not to cause Gaza humanitarian crisis 17:53 Minister Majadele: Israel is ready to return Golan for peace 22:09 Four militants killed in clashes with IDF troops in the Gaza Strip 21:01 Israel rescinds Arab Christian clergy travel rights in W. Bank 22:06 Archbishop of Canterbury to visit Israel, meet chief rabbis 16:06 Givatayim man killed in traffic accident after heart attack 11:09 Palestinians set fire to West Bank synagogue for second time 15:52 Syria complains to UN about Israel felling cherry trees on Golan 06:26 ANALYSIS: Israel's real intention behind sanctions on Gaza Strip 05:42 Some of PM's defense talks before last year's war went unrecorded Previous Editions Select Day 26 oct 25 oct 24 oct 23 oct 22 oct 21 oct 19 oct 18 oct 17 oct 16 oct 15 oct 14 oct

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