Irish passports allegedly used by Mossad in the assassination of senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Mabhouh were probably used on other operations, a former Mossad agent has said.

Victor Ostrovsky said: "In this particular case, because they were called up from other places that they were in play, they would have been involved in other operations.

"These passports would have been used for some period of time."

Hamas commander al-Mabhouh was was found dead in his room at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel on January 20, killed by suspected agents from Israel.

Six forged Irish passports initially linked to the 18-strong hit squad were found in the Emirate with authentic numbers but names which did not match.

Mr Ostrovsky said the operation had all the signs of a 'rush job' and Mossad agents were probably taken off other operations where they were using the Irish passports, to participate in the killing.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that a vacant property owned by James Reynolds, a brother of former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, on Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, was given as an address by one of the assassination suspects with a fake Irish passport.