LONDON 

Israeli forces attacked the staff residence of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Gaza three times on Monday along with its main warehouse and detained staff and family members, said the head of the UN agency.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement that the attacks occurred against the staff residence in Deir al Balah.

"The Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward Al-Mawasi amid active conflict," he said.

Tedros said that male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot and screened at gunpoint, adding that two WHO staff and two family members were detained.

Three were later released, but one staff member remains in detention, he said, adding that 32 WHO staff and family members were evacuated to the WHO office once access became possible.

"WHO demands the immediate release of the detained staff and protection of all its staff."

Expressing concern regarding the latest Israeli evacuation order in Deir al Balah, Tedros underlined that it has affected several WHO premises, compromising the agency's ability to operate in Gaza and pushing the health system further towards collapse.

"WHO’s main warehouse located in Deir al Balah is within the evacuation zone, and was damaged yesterday when an attack caused explosions and a fire inside," he recalled.

"WHO urgently calls on Member States to help ensure a sustained and regular flow of medical supplies into Gaza," he said, stressing that compromising WHO’s operations is crippling the entire health response in Gaza.

"A ceasefire is not just necessary, it is overdue,” he added.