Britain to expel Israeli diplomat over Hamas killing

LONDON - Britain is to expel an Israeli diplomat over the use of fake British passports by the killers of a Hammas official in Dubai, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Tuesday.

Miliband told parliament there were “compelling reasons” to believe Israel was behind the passports used in the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh Jan 19.

The foreign secretary said it was “intolerable” for a foreign country to behave in such a way, and the fact that Israel was a close ally added “insult to injury”.

“No country or government could stand by in such a situation,” he said.

Al-Mabhouh was killed in a hotel room in the Gulf emirate in what Dubai authorities called an assassination most probably carried out by the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency. Israel has declined to confirm or deny the allegation.

A dozen British passports and those of nationals from other countries were found to have been cloned by al-Mabhouh’s killers.

In February, Israel’s ambassador to London, Ron Prosor, was called to explain his country’s alleged involvement in the Palestinian militant’s murder. At the time, Prosor said while Israel was willing to cooperate, it could shed no light on the situation.

Al-Mabhouh, the founder of Hamas’ military wing, had reportedly been involved in the acquisition of weapons for the radical Palestinian movement.

Miliband said he spoke to his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman Monday about the issue.

“I handed over a letter seeking a formal assurance from him that in the future the state of Israel would never be party to the misuse of British passports in such a way.” he said.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the diplomat had technically been “asked to withdraw” from Britain, rather than expelled, and was being given two weeks to leave the country.

Then diplomat was not named, but he was believed to be a member of the Israeli embassy.