Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei announced on Thursday that Palestinian envoy to the United Nations Nasser al-Qedwa, a nephew of late leader Yasser Arafat, would travel to Pairs to receive Arafat's medical file.

Qurei told a news conference in Gaza City that a special Palestinian committee was set up Wednesday to investigate the cause of Arafat's death.

The committee headed by Health Minister Jawad al-Tibi would meet with Tunisian, Egyptian and Jordanian physicians who had examined Arafat before he was flown to the Percy Military Hospital outside Paris on Oct. 29, said Qurei.

Under French law, only the family has access to Arafat's medicalfile and can decide whether to make it public.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said earlier on Thursday: "We respect French law that stipulates that medical information is only available to next of kin."

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said Wednesday that France has nothing to hide concerning Arafat's medical file.The veteran Palestinian leader passed away on Nov. 11 at the hospital at the age of 75.

Paris was under pressure to reveal the cause of Arafat's deathamid rumors that he might have been poisoned.

Source: Xinhua