Palestinian official rejects reports on environmental panel with Israel

A Palestinian official on Thursday denied Israeli reports about a joint Palestinian-Israeli committee to solve environmental problems in the West Bank. "We did not agree with the Israelis to form any committees on environmental issues," Jamal al-Motwar, vice president of the Palestinian Environment Quality Authority, told Xinhua. He said that a meeting was held in Tel Aviv on Thursday with Israeli Environment Minister Amir Peretz to discuss a number of environmental problems faced by the Palestinian residents in the West Bank. "The only conclusion after the meeting was an Israeli promise to study the problems," he added. Earlier in the day, Israel's official radio reported that a Palestinian-Israeli environmental committee was formed to resolve ecological problems faced by both Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank.