Israel in diplomatic crisis over Dubai hit

Dubai police chief says the assassination of a senior Hamas official and “Mossad’s involvement” have caused a diplomatic crisis for Tel Aviv.

Gen. Dhahi Khalfan Tamim said the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, who was murdered in his hotel room in Dubai last month, has become more than a scandal for Israel.

“The police investigation has turned the assassination mission from a political crime to a scandal, to a diplomatic crisis for Israel and has exposed the Israeli Mossad and the outrageous modes of operation its cells employed in order to murder Mabhouh,” the police chief said an in an interview with the Arabic daily al-Bayan.

“The tactical success of Mabhouh’s assassination is equal to its strategic and diplomatic failure,” he added.

General Khalfan said despite Israel’s attempts to deny involvement in the assassination, “Dubai police are in possession of dozens of items of incriminating evidence against the cell which attest to the Mossad’s involvement.”

The police released photos and information of eleven European passport holders last week, saying the suspects were Mossad agents carrying fake documents.