DUBAI - Three Palestinians are being questioned over the murder last month of a top Hamas member in a Dubai hotel, Al-Ittihad newspaper reported Thursday, citing a police source.
The three Palestinians are believed to Israeli collaborators.
"The number of Palestinians being questioned in connection with the murder of (Mahmud) al-Mabhuh has risen to three," the newspaper cited a high-level police source as saying.
Mabhuh, a founder of Hamas' armed wing, was found dead in his hotel room in Dubai on January 20.
Dubai police have previously announced that they have in custody two Palestinians, who were deported from Jordan.
The source did not provide details on the detention of the third Palestinian, the newspaper said.
"The source confirmed that one of those (previously-detained) Palestinians has been proven to have been involved in Mabhuh's murder," Al-Ittihad said.
Dubai police announced Wednesday that 15 new Western passport holders are now suspects in Mabhuh's assassination, bringing the total of Western suspects in the killing to 26.
Five women were among the 15 new names, which also include three Irish and three Australian passport holders.
Dubai police had earlier released the names and photos of 11 suspects who had entered the UAE on European passports -- six from Britain, three from Ireland, one from Germany and one from France.
Israel's notorious intelligence service Mossad is widely suspected of being the assassination.
