Britain Expels Israeli Diplomat Over Dubai Case

Hamas militant Mahmud al-Mabhouh is shown being followed by his alleged killers in this CCTV handout from Dubai police.

Britain has said it is expelling an unnamed Israeli diplomat over the use of forged British passports by suspected killers of a Hamas commander in Dubai.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband told parliament today there were compelling reasons to believe Israel was responsible for the misuse of British passports in the case and said he had sought assurances that Israel would not misuse them again.

"We have concluded that there are compelling reasons to believe that Israel was responsible for the misuse of the British passports," Miliband said. "The government takes this matter extremely seriously. Such misuse of British passports is intolerable."

Israel has said there is no proof that its agents were behind the killing of Mahmud al-Mabhouh in Dubai in January. Britain's Foreign Office would not provide any details of Miliband's statement in advance.

France said today it has opened an investigation after four fake French passports were used by people thought to have been involved in the same killing.

compiled from agency reports