News of British passport holders unknowingly being caught up in a international diplomatic crisis is shocking to me, especially since I was at school with one of them, and who is married to a childhood friend of mine.

While he and the other innocent victims of this mess are harassed by the world's media, that same media is again conveniently overlooking the fact that Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was a highly dangerous individual. Aside from being involved in the 1989 abduction and murder of two Israeli soldiers, al-Mabhouh was, more recently, one of Hamas's main players, trafficking weapons with the intention of killing many innocent civilians.

In the meantime, let's hope those individuals who've been unknowingly caught up in this saga, are quickly cleared of any involvement, so they can continue their lives as peaceful, law-abiding citizens.