The Israeli attack on the international aid flotilla - killing nine and injuring dozens more - is not the first example of non-violent resistance by Palestinians and their supporters being met by force.

Israel has, in fact, at different times reacted with repression or even extreme violence to cultural and political manifestations of Palestinian identity.

But the flotilla carnage is the first direct and officially declared attack by the Israeli army on foreign activists - taking Israel's reaction to solidarity activities to a new and unprecedented level.

Israeli claims that Turkish activists "resisted" its takeover of the ships do not change the reality that the Israeli army performed an illegal armed operation against activists who challenged the siege of Gaza - not with weapons, but by trying to deliver food and medical supplies to the besieged Palestinian population.

Israeli impunity has already been shown in the cases of Western peace activists Rachel Corrie and Tom Hurndell who were killed while peacefully protesting against Israeli army actions against Palestinian citizens.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, who is also a member of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said the Government should demand an urgent explanation.

''If the Israeli government was party to behaviour of this kind it would be a serious violation of trust between nations,'' he said.

''If legitimate British passport holders were put at risk it would be a disgrace.

''Given the current speculation, the Israeli government has some explaining to do and the ambassador should be summoned to the Foreign Office to do so in double-quick time.''

His call came after Tory MP Hugo Swire, chairman of the Conservative Middle East Council, demanded a ''full investigation''.

One way of falsifying a nationality is to forge a passport or insert a new identity and picture into a stolen passport.

But a more effective way can be to steal a real person's identity and get a real passport in their name.

That looks to have been the tactic used by the team involved in the Dubai assassination.

This requires a level of sophistication suggesting an experienced intelligence organisation.

That fact will do nothing to quell the suspicion that Israel's Mossad was involved, particularly since it has used foreign passports for previous operations including the 1997 attempt on the life of Khaled Meshal in Jordan, when two operatives used Canadian passports.

Six British men and a blonde Irish woman are among an alleged hit squad wanted in Dubai for the assassination of a Hamas commander in his luxury hotel room.

Gail Folliard is said to be part of an 11-strong gang  -  some wearing fake beards and wigs  -  who disguised themselves with tennis clothes and rackets in a highly orchestrated murder.

They arrived on separate flights and spent less than a day in the emirate, tracking their victim to his five-star residence, the al-Bustan Rotana, near the airport before ambushing and suffocating him.

Evidence relating to the death of Government weapons inspector David Kelly is to be kept secret for 70 years, it has been reported.

A highly unusual ruling by Lord Hutton, who chaired the inquiry into Dr Kelly's death, means medical records including the post-mortem report will remain classified until after all those with a direct interest in the case are dead, the Mail on Sunday reported.

And a 30-year secrecy order has been placed on written records provided to Lord Hutton's inquiry which were not produced in evidence.