Israel: Killing of Hamas official is not murder
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
The killing of a senior Hamas official in Dubai should not be considered as murder, an Israeli minister said today.
Public diplomacy minister Yuli Edelstein insisted that he did not know who carried out the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, which has been widely blamed on the Israeli secret service, Mossad.
But speaking to a meeting of the Henry Jackson Society think tank at the House of Commons, he said that it would be wrong to become "overly emotional" about his death.
"Even if it will turn out that the worst secret service of the worst country in the world had managed to get to that guy, I will still not call it murder," he said.
"We are talking about the worst murderer in one of the worst terrorist organisations, so let's not get overly emotional about his death and let's not start mourning his death."
The killing of Mr al-Mabhouh in his hotel room in Dubai last month threatened to spark a major diplomatic row after it was disclosed that the hit squad responsible used forged European passports - six of them British.
Gordon Brown last week ordered an investigation into the use of the fake UK documents headed by the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments