UK presses for answers on Hamas killing

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pressed for a full investigation into the death of a top Hamas member, after members of the Israeli secret service allegedly murdered the man while carrying fake European passports.

Britain and Ireland have said that the passports some of the alleged 11-member Mossad team were carrying were fake.

Mahmud al-Mabhuh, a top Hamas commander, was murdered in Dubai last month by six people with British passports, three with Irish passports, and a German and a French passport holder.

"We are aware that the holders of six British passports have been named in the case," a spokeman from the Foreign Office in London said. He added that they were opening their own investigation and they continue to work with Dubai authorities.

The Irish foreign affairs department said that the passports were false, while the French foreign ministry said it could not confirm the nationality of the alleged passport holder. Germany has not responded.

Earlier this week, Dubai had published a list of the suspects, along with their photos, as well CCTV footage showing them in wigs and bearded disguises.

On Tuesday, Dubai prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant against the 11.

Israel has not issued any statement on this assassination, but the Mossad has targeted top Hamas members in the past.

Hamas members said that Mabhuh was visiting Dubai to buy weapons for Hamas.

Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan said he will issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if it is proven that Mossad was behind the killing.