The station's report included interviews with several reserve soldiers whose face was blocked out to protect their identity.

"I and other members of my unit saw soldiers with their weapons, bullet-proof vests and helmets climbing into military ambulances," said one of the reservists.

"The use of ambulances is against the Geneva Convention which Israel has signed. Moreover, once ambulances are used for military objectives they become a legitimate target," said Doctor Rafi Waldman, a member of the organisation Doctors for Human Rights.

According to the report the Israeli army began to use ambulances due to a lack of other armored vehicles. The red Star of David Israel uses to mark ambulances should be covered up in such cases, but in many instances was not, said the television station.

"My commander complained to his superiors, but an officer explained to him that there was no choice as the ambulance is often the only vehicle available," said another reservist.

An Israeli army spokesman said that use of ambulances has not continued, and they are only to be used in emergency situations and with the markings covered up.

Israel has many times in the past accused the Palestinians of using ambulances to transport fighters.

Last October Israeli authorities released footage of what they claimed to be Palestinian militants loading a rocket launcher onto a UN ambulance. They later had to admit the alleged weapons were in fact stretchers.

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