OCCUPIED JERUSALEM/SYDNEY (Agencies)
Israel may soon replace a diplomat Britain has said it will expel over the use of forged British passports by suspected killers of a Hamas commander in Dubai, Israeli media reported on Wednesday, as Australia said it would not be rushed into action against Israel over the same case.
Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's most widely read news daily, said the diplomat being sent home was actually a Mossad intelligence agent, and that he would fly back to Israel after the Passover holiday early next month.
Israel could replace the agent with another as ties between the two countries have not been seriously harmed, the newspaper said. Army Radio carried a similar report.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith meanwhile said Canberra would await the findings of its own investigation into the use of forged Australian passports in the murder of Mabhouh in Dubai before taking any action.
"We take this matter very seriously. But we will take it in a sensible, methodical approach," Smith told public radio.
"Obviously we'll take into account what other countries have done, and the United Kingdom is not the only country caught up in this, regrettably there's also France, Ireland and Germany," Smith said.
"But we'll take it step by step, I'll get (the Australian police) report, we'll then make judgments and decisions, which we regard as being in Australia's national interest."
Smith said there was nothing to suggest the Australians concerned "were anything other than innocent victims," but declined to respond on the possible involvement of Mossad.
"To comment on that, to be drawn on that, would be to preempt the Australian Federal Police inquiry, and the government's consideration of it," he said.
"We take this matter very seriously. But we will take it in a sensible, methodical approach," Smith told public radio.
"Obviously we'll take into account what other countries have done, and the United Kingdom is not the only country caught up in this, regrettably there's also France, Ireland and Germany," Smith said.
"But we'll take it step by step, I'll get (the Australian police) report, we'll then make judgments and decisions, which we regard as being in Australia's national interest."
Smith said there was nothing to suggest the Australians concerned "were anything other than innocent victims," but declined to respond on the possible involvement of Mossad.
"To comment on that, to be drawn on that, would be to preempt the Australian Federal Police inquiry, and the government's consideration of it," he said.
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