Israeli army admits it opened fire on Gaza ambulances

The Israeli army has acknowledged firing on ambulances and fire trucks in southern Gaza last Sunday, saying they were deemed "suspicious vehicles".

The military said in a statement that its forces initially "opened fire toward Hamas vehicles and eliminated several Hamas terrorists".

"A few minutes afterwards, additional vehicles advanced suspiciously toward the troops … The troops responded by firing toward the suspicious vehicles, eliminating a number of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists."

Following a preliminary inquiry, the army concluded that “some of the suspicious vehicles … were ambulances and fire trucks”.

The statement adds the Israeli military's claim that armed groups in Gaza use ambulances for "terrorist purposes" without providing evidence.