Israel denies Mossad killed Hamas scientist

Israel’s defence minister has dismissed claims that Israel assassinated a Palestinian Hamas member and scholar who was shot dead in Malaysia.

Avigdor Lieberman said it was more likely that Saturday’s murder of Fadi al-batsh, 35, was part of “an internal Palestinian dispute”. He also added that al-batsh, who was a scientist, was a “rocket expert and no saint”.

The academic’s family had blamed Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, for orchestrating the assassination.