The UN agency says Israel's ground offensive in Deir al-Balah has compromised its efforts to continue working.

Israel's military on Tuesday responded to accusations by the World Health Organization (WHO) that its forces attacked the UN agency's facilities in central Gaza and detained staff members. The military said soldiers came under fire in the city of Deir al-Balah on Monday and returned fire in the direction the shots originated.

Strikes in the central part of the territory targeted a city, Deir al-Balah, that had largely been spared and that had become an informal refuge for Palestinians fleeing other areas.