DUBAI, Feb 20, (Agencies): New evidence incriminating Israel’s spy agency in the assassination of a Hamas commander in Dubai includes credit card payments and phone calls made by suspects, an Arabic-language daily reported on Saturday.
Police have already said the 11 suspects used forged passports in the names of innocent individuals of several European nationalities.
“Dubai police have information confirming that the suspects purchased travel tickets from companies in other countries with credit cards carrying the same names we have publicised (in the passports),” Al Bayan daily on Saturday quoted Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim as saying.
It did not give further details. Palestinian Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was found dead in his room in a luxury Dubai hotel on Jan 20, a day after arriving in the emirate.
Dubai police have released photographs of the 11 suspects. The international criminal police organisation Interpol said on Thursday it had issued “red notices” for their arrest in any of its 188 member countries.
Dubai’s police chief said on Thursday he believed Israeli agents were responsible for killing al-Mabhouh, a senior member of the Islamist group which rules Gaza, and called for the Mossad spy agency’s chief to be arrested if its responsibility was proved.
Britain offered on Friday new passports to six British citizens whose identities were used by the suspects and all of whom live in Israel, to protect them from inadvertent arrest through Interpol.
Other suspects identified by Dubai used cloned passports from Ireland, France and Germany.
A Hamas legislator says a member of the Islamic militant movement assassinated during a visit to Dubai put himself at risk by booking his trip through the Internet.
Hamas legislator Salah Bardawil also told a news conference Saturday that the slain man, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, also took a risk by informing his Gaza family by telephone at which hotel he would be staying.
The Syria-based al-Mabhouh was found dead in a Dubai hotel Jan. 20.
Israel’s Mossad spy agency has been blamed for the killing. Israeli officials have declined comment.
Dubai police have identified 11 suspects who apparently traveled to Dubai on European passports. Two Palestinians are being held in Dubai on suspicion they helped the assassins.
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon on Saturday condemned the assassination in Dubai of Hamas commander Mahmud al-Mabhuh, saying murder should never be part of diplomacy.
“Murder is not the way one should conduct international relations,” French Fillon said, when asked about the hit widely blamed on Israel’s Mossad spy agency.
“I don’t know all the ins and outs of the affair in Dubai. I hope that light will be shed on who did this and who did that in this murder,” Fillon said.
“France condemns this murder,” he told a press conference with his Syrian counterpart, Mohammed Naji Otri, whose government hosts exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and hosted Mabhuh before his murder.
“All murders, whoever is behind them and whoever orders them, are to be condemned.
“Like the British and like the Germans, we have asked for explanations from the Israeli authorities since a French passport has been used in this operation,” he added, referring to the suspected use of forged passports bearing the names of joint Israeli-European citizens.
“We want to know the truth.”
Dubai police chief Dhahi Khalfan said in a report on Saturday that his force has evidence incriminating the Mossad in the killing of the Hamas commander last month, despite Israeli denials.
“Among the new evidence available to Dubai police which incriminates the Israeli secret service, the Mossad, and confirms its involvement in the murder ... are telephone communications between the culprits who have been detected,” Khalfan said in the newspaper Al-Bayan.
“Dubai police also have reliable information that some perpetrators bought their tickets in other countries using credit cards bearing the same identity revealed” previously by the emirate, he added.