Lake Maggiore deaths: why were Italian and Israeli secret service agents on a boat in northern Italy?

Four died after a vessel carrying 21 passengers – all with links to Italian and Israeli intelligence – capsized, and speculation is growing about the nature of the trip

It reads like a pitch for a thriller.

A group of tourists board a boat on a beautiful lake at the foot of the Alps. The boat capsizes in a sudden storm. Four drown as others swim to safety. In the days that follow, as authorities struggle to trace hotel bookings for the passengers, it emerges all were affiliated with the Italian and Israeli secret services.