Britain Expels Israeli Diplomat over Fake Passport in Dubai Killing

The UK is to expel an Israeli diplomat over the use of cloned British passports in a Dubai killing, reports BBC News.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband will make a statement to Parliament later.

Israel has denied allegations that its agents were behind the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel room in January.

Diplomatic sources stressed the British government has stopped short of accusing Israel of the murder.

However, Miliband had demanded that Israel co-operate fully with the investigation into how the passports were obtained.

The foreign secretary is to make the statement after Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency found proof of the cloned passports, said BBC correspondent Jeremy Bowen.

Diplomatic sources stressed the British government was not accusing Israel of involvement in the killing, our correspondent added.

He also stressed that the diplomat to be expelled would not be Israel's ambassador to London, Ron Prosor.

However, the expulsion sends a very strong message of Britain's displeasure at the cloning of UK passports.

Several fake British passports were used in the killing of Mabhouh — the founder of Hamas's military wing — in his hotel room in Dubai on January 19.