Britain expels Israeli diplomat over killer's passport

Britain has ordered the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat over the use of British passports in the killing of a Palestinian Hamas commander in Dubai.

Miliband on his way to parliament Reuters

"I have asked that a member of the embassy of Israel be withdrawn from the UK as a result of this affair, and this is taking place," Foreign Secretary David Miliband told the British parliament Tuesday.

He said there were “compelling reasons” to believe that Israel was responsible for the use of the passports, which the UK says were fake.

Dubai police accused the Israeli secret services, Mossad, of killing Hamas member Mahmoud al-Mabhuh last month.

The killers used passports from Britain, France, Ireland and Germany, leading all those countries to protest to Israel, which has rejected calls for the arrest of the head of Mossad.