British intelligence (MI6) and the Foreign Office were told in advance that Israeli agents were going to carry out an 'overseas operation' using fake British passports, according to the Friday edition of the London Daily Mail. The passports were among those of a number of nationalities used by the killers of senior Hamas terrorist Mahmoud Mabhouh in Dubai on January 20th.

The newspaper quoted a British security source who met the Mossad Israeli intelligence agent, telling the Foreign Office   "There was no British involvement and they didn't know the name of the target. But they were told these people were travelling on UK passports."

A Foreign Office spokesman denied Britain knew in advance about the passports, adding "We received the details of the British passports a few hours before the press conference [by police in Dubai]. We were able to respond to the Dubai authorities on the authenticity of the passports the next day."