The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is still studying the "two seas canal" project aimed at transfusing water between the Red Sea and Dead Sea, a senior Palestinian official said Thursday.

Palestinian Planning Minister Ghassan al-Khatib told Palestinian radio Voice of Palestine that the World Bank has held a meeting in its headquarters in Paris for the project where several representatives from countries including the US, France, Japan and Holland expressed their interests to finance the study of the project.

"Studying this project by donor countries is supposed to help Jordan, Israel and the PNA to take decision whether to begin carrying out the project or not," al-Khatib said.

Some of the Palestinian lawmakers have different points of view over the project and criticized the PNA for not consulting the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) over the matter.

The legislators warned that the project would result in political and ecological danger which would pose a threat to the Palestinian people's future.

Youssef Abu Safeya, former minister of environment, said "the project would give Israel the right to occupy our lands and delineate deficient borders for the Palestinians."

Abu Safeya added that the project would change the environmental situation in the Dead Sea region and badly affect the Red Sea, while the only beneficiary is Israel.

Responding to the opposition, Khatib said "this project is a political achievement and the project must be presented before the PLC for discussion and approval."

Jordan, Israel and the Palestinians agreed a project feasibility study of 15 million US dollars in May.

The study, which will investigate the social and environmental impact of transferring water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea through a 200-kilometer conduit between them, would start this year and is expected to finish in 2008.

If the project is finally implemented, the desert area between the two seas would benefit from the fresh water and the region would be turned into an agricultural center for the benefit of local people.

Source: Xinhua