THE GOVERNMENT should exert more pressure on Israel to explain the use of fake Irish passports by suspects in the killing of a prominent Hamas operative, as “confusion” over Irish involvement could result in hostility towards Ireland, a senior Hamas official has said.
Police in Dubai, where Mahmoud al Mabhouh was found dead last month, have said they are “99 per cent” certain that Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad carried out the assassination.
Israel has said there is no proof to link it to the killing.
Osama Hamdan, a member of the Hamas politburo, complained that the reaction of Ireland and other European countries whose passports have been implicated had been “shy” up to now.
“Unfortunately, the reaction from the European countries has not been enough in relation to the crime that was committed. If it happened with any other country the reaction would be stronger than this,” Mr Hamdan told The Irish Times last night.
“The use of documents of those countries in an assassination . . . this may create a situation where people in the [Middle East] look or consider the citizens of those countries as a suspected Mossad agent.
“This will affect relations and the interests of those countries in the region if real steps are not taken against Israel.”
Earlier this week Dubai police released details of 15 more people they believe were involved in the assassination, bringing the total number of suspects to 26. The number of fraudulent passports used now stands at 12 British, six Irish, four French, three Australian and one German.
Mr Hamdan claimed that Israel used fake passports in the operation to “create trouble” between Palestinians and the five affected countries. “They wanted to damage good relations like that between Ireland and the Palestinians,” he said. “I believe this situation creates a kind of confusion as to how this country that supports the Palestinians is involved in such an assassination.”
Mr Hamdan said the minimum the Government should do is sever diplomatic relations. “Saying that you are angry is not enough. You have to take serious steps,” he said.
The Government yesterday stepped up its rhetoric on the use of fake Irish passports by the suspects, echoing comments made by Australian officials that the use of forged documentation was not “the act of a friend”.
Speaking in the Dáil, Minister of State Dick Roche said it was unacceptable that the Irish passport had been “denigrated and besmirched” through fraudulent use by alleged assassins.
Rhetoric on fake Irish passport use for killing hardens: page 11