Diplomatic crisis between Israel and EU over Dubai killing of Hamas leader

Citing "sources with knowledge of Mossad", the British newspaper ‘The Sunday Times’ reports that in early January Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally authorized the killing of Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai by a 11-member hit squad of the Mossad. The agents reportedly used fake diplomatic passports to enter the United Arab Emirates.

The foreign ministers of the European Union member states were expected to issue a statement later on Monday condemning the assassination and the use of false European passports, but the statement is unlikely to mention Israel. However, the ‘Jerusalem Post cites an unnamed senior EU official as saying: "The passport controversy obviously will be harmful for the way Israel is treated by the EU.”

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said the use of fake passports in the killing of the Hamas commander in a Dubai hotel room on 19 January was an issue of concern for all EU member states. "We are extremely concerned that a passport, which is a very rigorous and legal document, can be used in a different manner and for a different purpose," he told reporters in Brussels. "We will discuss it, and I hope we will issue a statement expressing our concern." Moratinos added that he would ask his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman about the affair on the sidelines of the EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday.

Dubai police last week said the assassins of the Hamas leader had used forged British, Irish, French and German passports and had been sent by Israel. The Israeli government has declined to confirm or deny this claim. Israel’s Deputy Israel Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon said on Saturday that he foresaw no crisis in Israel's relations with Europe over the use of foreign passports, as Israel had nothing to do with it.

According to Hamas' own statements, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was responsible for supplying militants in the Gaza Strip with arms.