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.

The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the Iran-backed militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it.

The port of Eilat, already diminished, could shut down entirely without government assistance in what would be a win for the Houthis, officials warn.

Israel struck Houthi targets in Yemen’s port of Hodeida on Monday, in retaliation for a series of missile volleys from the group over the last week.