The Israeli military has said an “operational misunderstanding” led to the killing of 14 emergency workers in Gaza last month.

An inquiry into the incident by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) found a series of failings. It said the killing of a UN worker shortly afterwards was “a breach of orders during a combat setting”.

It added that the deputy commander of the unit involved has been dismissed “for providing an incomplete and inaccurate report during the debrief”.

Fourteen emergency workers and a UN worker were killed on 23 March after a convoy of Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulances, a UN car and a fire truck came under fire by the Israeli military.

In a statement, the IDF said its troops opened fire believing they were facing a threat from enemy forces.

The IDF said its investigation found six of the casualties were Hamas members, and rejected there had been summary executions.

It did not produce evidence for any affiliation to Hamas, despite the names of those killed being in the public domain.

The report said the incident took place in what it called a “hostile and dangerous combat zone”, and that the commander on the ground perceived an immediate and tangible threat after vehicles approached rapidly.

It also blamed “poor night visibility”, which the IDF said meant the commander did not identify the vehicles as ambulances.

Israel originally claimed troops opened fire because the convoy approached “suspiciously” in darkness without headlights or flashing lights. It said movement of the vehicles had not been previously co-ordinated or agreed with the army.

But it later said that account was “mistaken” after a video found on the mobile phone of a medic showed the vehicles with their lights on and their emergency signals flashing.

In the footage, which is more than five minutes long, the paramedic says his last prayers before the voices of Israeli soldiers can be heard approaching the vehicles.

Source: www.bbc.com