The World Health Organisation has voiced concern about the fate of the head who had been arrested on Wednesday along with five other health workers, while they were taking part in a UN mission to evacuate patients, AFP reports.

“Three medical personnel from the Palestine Red Crescent Society and three from the Ministry of Health were detained,” the WHO said.

Since then two of the six have reportedly been released, but “we do not have information about the well-being of the four remaining health staff, including the director of Al-Shifa hospital,” the statement added.

The UN agency called for “their legal and human rights to be fully observed during their detention”.

“We are currently moving forward with… questioning him [director] over the fact that he was the head of a hospital that was really sitting on top of an entire terror network,” Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the Israeli army said.

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