People who are "suspected of being Israeli" will not be permitted to enter the United Arab Emirates even if they use a foreign passport, the Dubai police chief said yesterday. In a news conference in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Police Chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim said the decision was made following the assassination of Hamas senior operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, which he blamed on "Israeli intelligence agents."

Foreign Ministry officials are unsure of the significance of the announcement, because Israel does not maintain full diplomatic relations with the Emirates, and the ties that exist are kept low-key. Meetings between the countries' foreign ministers are usually restricted to the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, and the discussions are not publicized. However, dozens of Israeli businessmen frequently travel to Dubai to advance business interests with local companies in infrastructure, communications and agriculture. The businessmen must hold a foreign passport in order to enter.

Israelis without foreign passports can enter Dubai only if there is an international event taking place, such as a convention or a sports tournament. Shahar Peer, Israel's top tennis player, recently spent a week competing at the Dubai Championships.

Meanwhile, Australian authorities announced yesterday that they are sending investigators to Israel in order to question three Australian-Israeli dual citizens whose names were mentioned by Dubai in connection with the Mabhouh killing.

Dubai alleges that Israel forged foreign passports in order to send agents to assassinate Mabhouh. Israel is still concerned that these allegations could cool relations with Australia, which has become a close ally in recent years, a source in Jerusalem said.

The Australian foreign minister submitted an official request to the Israeli embassy in Canberra on Sunday, seeking approval for the delegation's mission. Israel approved the request. Australia is seeking to investigate whether its citizens' identities were stolen and its passports forged. The investigators' arrival date has not been announced, though officials believe it will be this week. A diplomatic source in Jerusalem said Israel will cooperate with the investigation.

Last week, two investigators from a British special police unit came to Israel to question several British dual citizens whose names were cited by Dubai police as suspects in the Mabhouh assassination. Dubai named at least 11 people whose names coincide with those of British Israelis. However, none of the photos released pictured the Israeli citizens. Tamim called on Mossad head Meir Dagan to "be a man" and admit Israel is behind the assassination, the Emirati newspaper Al-Khaleej reported Saturday. Tamim also told the paper that Dubai has DNA evidence from one of the assassins and fingerprints from the crime scene.