Islamic Hamas movement on Tuesday welcomed Britain's intention to expel an Israeli diplomat over using fake British passports in killing a Hamas official in Dubai in January, Xinhua reported.
A British newspaper reported that the representative of Mossad, Israel's secret agency responsible for foreign intelligence, in the Israeli embassy in London will be expelled for endangering Britons by using 12 forged British passports in the suspected Mossad hit.
"We welcome the British decision to expel the Mossad representative over the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh," said Salah al-Bardaweel, a spokesman for Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
He hoped this step will lead to "officially charging Mossad for the killing" and result in more legal lawsuits against Israel.
Al-Mabhouh, 50, was born in the Gaza Strip but has been living in Syria since 1989. He was found dead in his hotel room on Jan. 20, a day after he arrived in Dubai.
The Hamas official was wanted by the Israeli government in connection with the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers in 1989. Hamas has accused Mossad of carrying out the assassination.
Police there later announced that a cell of more than two dozen people, all holding European and U.S. passports, carried out the hit.