RAMALLAH, January 17, 2017 (WAFA) – The cabinet welcomed on Tuesday the recent agreement the water authority had signed with its Israeli counterpart and which gives the Palestinians more freedom of action in Area C of the West Bank, which is under full Israeli military control.

The cabinet said in a statement issued after it weekly meeting, which was chaired by President Mahmoud Abbas, that the agreement allows the Palestinian Water Authority to carry out repair work on the water system in Area C without having to return to the joint Palestinian-Israeli water committee, which has not functioned for six years.

It said this will make it possible to fix leaks and other problems in the water pipes and improve delivery of water to Palestinians.

It will also encourage donor countries to give more to water projects in the West Bank since it will not be required now to get permission from the joint committee to do these projects.

The United Nations had welcomed the signing of the agreement and said it will be good for the two-state solution.

Nickolay Mladenov, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said this agreement “would be an important step towards preserving the two-state solution.”

M.K.