with more on this — here's our diplomatic correspondent, paul adams. the investigation�*s findings are stark — this should never have happened. monday's devastating attack, a combination of mistaken identification and bad decision—making. the israeli army has been giving more details about what they say happened on monday night. they say about half an hour after the convoy left the pier near gaza city, a gunman was seen boarding one of the aid trucks. after the aid arrived at its destination in deir al—balah, point three on the map, the convoy appeared to split — one vehicle, with clearly visible gunmen on board, headed to a nearby hangar, numberfour. mistakenly believing that hamas gunmen were inside the other three vehicles, all three were hit, one after the other, over the course of four terrifying minutes. the army's statement is clear — the strike on the aid vehicles was a grave mistake, stemming from a serious failure due to mistaken identification, errors in decision—making and an attack contrary to the army's the standard operating procedures. the army says two senior officers will be dismissed and another formally reprimanded. world central kitchen calls these important steps but israel's apologies represent cold comfort, they say. "without systemic change," they said this morning, "there will be more military failures, more apologies, more grieving families." israel claims it was a tragic accident. i think there needs to be an independent investigation. if it is a tragic accident, as they claim, i think the idf is inept and incompetent, if a known humanitarian convoy operating in their zone... meanwhile, signs from israel it will do more to get aid into gaza, especially the north. after months of resistance, it says it will allow humanitarian supplies into its container port at ashdod, close to gaza. it is finally opening the major erez crossing, attacked and ransacked by hamas gunmen on october 7th. both moves came after there was a tense phone call between president biden and israel's benjamin netanyahu. future american support, the president warned, could depend on how israel responds. we welcome the steps announced by israel, opening erez as a new crossing point and shipments going directly from the ashdod port, maximising the route from jordan. these are positive developments, but the real test is results, and that is what we are looking to see in the coming days and weeks. as hunger and disease take hold in gaza, aid workers say things need to change quickly, food, medicine and personnel all needed to bring a desperate population back from the brink. paul adams, bbc news. earlier we heard from the spokesperson of the idf — the israel defense forces — lietunant colonel, peter lerner. first of all, wasn't an assumption, it was a visible confirmation of a gunman, first of one of the trucks that then conducted the shooting from one of the trucks, and when they indeed reached the hangers, there was more gunman identified on there was more gunman identified on the location, and it led to the entire miscalculation, misidentification, and the failure of what should have happened stop this is precisely the reason, as you rightly pointed out, that two senior officers, a major and a colonel, have been dismissed from their roles, from their positions. three other senior officers, from the ranks of colonel, brigadier general, and all the way up to major general have also been reprimanded for their role and for their responsibilities, and we are taking this incident very, very seriously. the reality on the ground is one where we need to facilitate humanitarian effort, we need to ensure that humanitarian organisations like the world central kitchen can conduct their essential humanitarian activity, and we clearly failed in this instance... to be clear, i use the assumption, because the statement released earlier by the idf said that one of the commanders mistakenly assumed, thatis the commanders mistakenly assumed, that is the phrase, that gunmen were located inside the company vehicles. as they left the depot where the aid had been dropped off, there is this assumption that there were gunmen in the vehicles, and that led to the decision to use lethal force. what should the standing operating procedure have been at that point? the statement does say that there was clearly a failure of standard operating procedure. i5 was clearly a failure of standard operating procedure.— was clearly a failure of standard operating procedure. is what we know from the investigation _ operating procedure. is what we know from the investigation that _ operating procedure. is what we know from the investigation that we - operating procedure. is what we know from the investigation that we have i from the investigation that we have revealed. the identification of the gunmen, it raised the red flags in the brigade level. the fire support officer raised the issue to his senior commanders, asking for approval. he did not receive approval. he did not receive approval to strike because they were delivering humanitarian aid, despite the fact that the gunmen were identified. what happened was that the convoy of the world central kitchen vehicles, four in total, join the convoy of the trucks, which the operations in the field did not have that information. this is failure number two. as the incident continued, the assumption that was made was that the vehicles that were accompanying the trucks were actually hamas vehicles. this weighs on the assumption that was a failure, that was a mistake, and was the result of this unfortunate, tragic incident.— the result of this unfortunate, tragic incident. two things i want to ask you. _ tragic incident. two things i want to ask you. if— tragic incident. two things i want to ask you. if i — tragic incident. two things i want to ask you, ifi may, _ tragic incident. two things i want to ask you, if i may, as— tragic incident. two things i want to ask you, if i may, as a - tragic incident. two things i want to ask you, if i may, as a result l tragic incident. two things i want| to ask you, if i may, as a result of what you said. one about the communications, and why the correct communications, and why the correct communications on tap and two, why were the forces that were on active duty in that location unable to identify these vehicles as belonging to world central kitchen? there are a coule to world central kitchen? there are a coume of — to world central kitchen? there are a couple of things _ to world central kitchen? there are a couple of things that _ to world central kitchen? there are a couple of things that need - to world central kitchen? there are a couple of things that need to - to world central kitchen? there are a couple of things that need to be i a couple of things that need to be said about that. first of all, in the investigation, we revealed that through the aerial surveillance that took place before the strikes, the stickers that were on the roof that we have seen from the footage you have been airing over the last couple of days was not seen from the aerial footage because of night—time and because there was no materials that could help us identify these vehicles while... you that could help us identify these vehicles while. . .— vehicles while... you don't use niuht vehicles while... you don't use night vision — vehicles while... you don't use night vision technology? - vehicles while... you don't use night vision technology? the . vehicles while... you don't use . night vision technology? the night vision identified _ night vision technology? the night vision identified vehicles, - night vision technology? the night vision identified vehicles, but - night vision technology? the night vision identified vehicles, but it i vision identified vehicles, but it wasn't able to read out the sticker on the roof, it couldn't even identify that there was a sticker. we have shared this with the bbc bureau chief injerusalem, he has seen that himself. it couldn't be identified, and this again is anotherfailure. we need to identified, and this again is another failure. we need to learn from humanitarian organisation so this doesn't happen again in the future. at this doesn't happen again in the future. �* ., ., ., ., future. a lieutenant colonel from the idf. cbs correspondent jarred hill is in new york with reaction from the us to the israeli report on the aid workers' deaths. we do know that yesterday and over the past couple of days, president biden has said that this was not a stand alone incident, as he has continued to push the israeli government to be more strategic and cautious in the way that it conducts these strikes. we also know that us senator chris coons, who sits on the senate foreign relations committee, has said that there should be an independent review of whatever report comes out from the idf. so again, we'll continue watching over the next couple of hours to see how these lawmakers are responding to this one. but this is something that definitely a lot of people have been waiting to see some sort of report from the idf on this one. and then going back to the opening up of these additional aid routes, jarred, president biden asked for specific, concrete and measurable steps from israel. do we have any sense yet of whether what israel is proposing with opening up these routes is going to satisfy the president? so from what we've heard actually from the secretary of state just this morning, they're saying that this is a promising step, something that they like to see. but really, the proof is going to be in the pudding. the proof will be in the results. the big question is, while these routes might be open, will the aid actually get to the people in gaza who need it? and that's something that the administration says they're really going to be watching out for. the other thing here is the biden administration says that not only do they want to see these aid routes opened up, but they also want to see the israeli government, the israeli military, making some concrete promises, some concrete measures that they can take and look at to showcase that they are prioritising the saving of civilian life as they continue their operation in gaza. the un human rights council has called for weapons sales to israel to be banned because of its war against hamas. the resolution is non—binding, but a bbc correspondent says it will increase pressure on israel. here's our geneva correspondent, imogen foulkes, who was across the debate at the un. well, this was a relatively short, by human rights council standards, but quite impassioned debate in which very many countries, including some traditional friends in europe of israel talked about the absolute imperative to respect international law when waging this war, describing the humanitarian situation as utterly catastrophic. that was france, who didn't go so far as backing a weapons ban but abstained. belgium, finland and luxembourg, all of which showed immense support for israel after october the 7th, voted in favour of a weapons ban, as did much of the global south. african states, muslim countries. so, israel left rather diplomatically isolated. its ambassador described it as a dark day for the united nations. this is what you would expect israel to say. but i think inside government circles in israel they will be looking at the very few active votes of support they got today in geneva. and being somewhat concerned, i think of what the next steps are. as you said, not a binding vote but it does reflect what governments are thinking and about whether they should continue supplying weapons to israel. studio: and briefly, if you add that concern to the phone cool which took place between president biden and benjamin to the phone call which took place between president biden and benjamin netanyahu, which led to israel saying it was opening up more routes for aid to get into gaza, you see a picture of concern emerging within israel's government circles, don't you, about the diplomatic fight, if you like, fight, if you like, as well as the fight that is happening, the military fight that is happening on the ground. absolutely. i think you can sense the pressure now. it's not to say that israel does not have friends and supporters. nearly everybody here in geneva said israel has a right to defend itself, they demanded the immediate release of the hostages, but they also said you defend yourself but within international law. and when you have aid agencies, as i heard yesterday from doctors without borders, saying they are seeing increasing numbers of children in gaza being shot by quadcopters, these are drones, this is the concern that the international community has and that israel, we think, is starting to listen to. some breaking news, and this relates to thames water, which supplies one in four people in the uk with their water and waste services. their parent company has defaulted on debt interest payments, so the parent company is called kemble, and we have heard from them that they have informed their wonder is that they have been unable to pay interest on £400 million worth of debt that was due on the 2nd of april. our business editor says thames water does have enough cash in overdraft facilities to see it through to may next year, so no danger to those who rely on thames water for their waste and water services at this point, but we recently heard that thames water said bills need to go up and that its investors wouldn't give it more money unless bills to customers rose. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. in taiwan, emergency workers are still trying to reach about 600 people either trapped in highway tunnels — or cut off in remote areas after wednesday's earthquake. almost all are guests and staff of a remote hotel who are unable to leave because of damaged roads. two more bodies have been found, taking the toll to 12. more 1,000 people were injured in the island's biggest quake in more than a quarter of a century. strict building regulations in taiwan helped prevent a major catastrophe. earlier, our asia correspondent rupert wingfield hayes gave us an update from the city nearest the quake's epicentre — hualien. well, it seems the situation has improved quite a lot today with those people who are trapped up in a gorge about 15 kilometres, or about ten miles, to the west of here. that is a very deep gorge. there are many landslides that have blocked the roads in there, but rescue teams have managed to get in to where the people are stranded. there's about 640 people trapped up there in a village where there is a hotel and there are other buildings. so they are being sheltered there. we understand around 400 of them are sheltering in the hotel and the others in other buildings there, so they are safe. they're not in immediate danger. they are now getting supplies in there by helicopter. but it is very difficult to get them out because the road is blocked by landslides. you can only get in and out by foot. they are bringing them out in small groups. we saw about 40 people brought out today, including people with young children and elderly people. a group of elderly tourists from america were brought out. but it is going to take just quite a long time to get so many people down that road in small groups, especially as we've had a lot of aftershocks here today. and every time there's an aftershock, that operation has to stop because it's bringing more rock coming tumbling down the mountainsides. and very briefly, rupert, looking at those efforts behind you, what's the situation like with trying to stabilise buildings which have been affected by the quake? yeah, well, this is one of the buildings that was partially brought down by the quake on wednesday morning. it's leaning over at a very precarious angle. they have been reinforcing it. but the plan now tonight is to start tearing that building down. and the reason they want to bring it down is because it represents a real threat every time there's an aftershock. so they want to bring it down in a controlled way. more now on the middle east — as israel says it has approved the opening of three aid routes into gaza to allow more humanitarian aid into the territory. with more on this here's yolande knell. potentially this could make really a very dramatic difference, that's precisely why. precisely why we have had now for weeks aid agencies and foreign governments, including the uk, asking forjust these kinds of changes. what we understand from local media reports is that there was a very long meeting of israel's security cabinet which has so far resisted these changes, and this was in response to that stark warning given by president biden to the israeli prime minister last night, and that afterwards, having been told by the israeli security establishment and by israeli diplomats that israel was facing potentially international sanctions, potentially even an arms embargo, that's when they decided to make these changes. so what we should see now is the erez crossing in the very north of the gaza strip that was badly damaged in the 7th of october attacks, that really triggered this war, that should be reopened for aid. and then also the ashdod container port, it's about 20 miles, 30 kilometres along the coast from the north of gaza, that should be allowed to bring in a lot more shipments of aid. we are going to take you to the us secretary of state, antony blinken, speaking for the first time since that report from the idf. ensure something _ that report from the idf. ensure something like _ that report from the idf. ensure something like this _ that report from the idf. ensure something like this can - that report from the idf. ensure something like this can never. that report from the idf. ensure - something like this can never happen again _ something like this can never happen again mr_ something like this can never happen again. mr netanyahu indicated to president — again. mr netanyahu indicated to president biden that israel would be making _ president biden that israel would be making further changes to its procedures to ensure that those who are providing assistance to people who so_ are providing assistance to people who so desperately need in are protected, so we won't looking very carefully _ protected, so we won't looking very carefully at — protected, so we won't looking very carefully at what those steps are, -- we _ carefully at what those steps are, -- we are — carefully at what those steps are, —— we are going to be looking very carefully— —— we are going to be looking very carefully at — —— we are going to be looking very carefully at what the steps are, how it achieves _ carefully at what the steps are, how it achieves better information and coordination so that aid workers are protected — coordination so that aid workers are protected. at the same time, as israel_ protected. at the same time, as israel pursues any operation against hamas. _ israel pursues any operation against hamas. it _ israel pursues any operation against hamas, it has to protect the individuals. too many people have been _ individuals. too many people have been caught in this crossfire of hamas' — been caught in this crossfire of hamas' making, children, women, men losing— hamas' making, children, women, men losing their _ hamas' making, children, women, men losing their lives stop their safety has to— losing their lives stop their safety has to he — losing their lives stop their safety has to he a — losing their lives stop their safety has to be a priority. military operations need to be designed around — operations need to be designed around their protection, not the other_ around their protection, not the other way— around their protection, not the other way around. we'll be looking at