Herzi Halevi, the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, has apologised for a series of strikes in Gaza that killed seven aid workers including three from Britain.

Three vehicles belonging to the World Central Kitchen, a humanitarian group delivering food to the besieged enclave, were hit by missiles fired from an Israeli drone on Monday.

“This incident was a grave mistake. Israel is at war with Hamas, not with the people of Gaza,” Mr Halevi said. “We are sorry for the unintentional harm to the members of WCK.”

The IDF chief said the strikes were “a mistake that followed a misidentification”.

The apology came after Rishi Sunak told Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, that he was “appalled” by the killings of the humanitarian workers and called for an investigation into their deaths.