Mabhouh case: Mossad chief to apologise

In a drive to rebuild relations with the UK, the new head of Israel's secret service is ready to apologise for the use of British passports during the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud Al Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel early this year, according to a report in 'The Telegraph'. 

However, the Israeli government had no official reaction to the report on Monday.

Mossad insiders say Tamir Pardo, who took over as Mossad's chief this month, will promise officials that Israeli agents will never again be allowed to use fake British documents during operations abroad.

Pardo's apology during a visit to London, expected early in January, would be the first official acknowledgement by Israel that it was behind the assassination.

In March Britain expelled Mossad's station chief in London, a key foreign posting, after an investigation blamed Israel's secret service for cloning 12 British passports that were found among 26 forged identity documents used by the hit squad that murdered Mabhouh.

Pardo, 57, is said to regard the expulsion of the official as a blow.

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