Israeli forces have continued to pound southern Lebanon and the outskirts of the capital Beirut, killing at least five medics, and ground troops clashed with Hezbollah fighters in the south, Reuters reports.

Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at Israeli troops east of Khiyam at least four times on Friday. Lebanese security sources told Reuters Israeli troops had also advanced in a string of villages to the west. They said Israel was most likely trying to isolate Khiyam before attacking the town.

An Israeli airstrike on a residence near Dar Al-Amal University Hospital in Baalbek province, northeastern Lebanon, killed the hospital’s director, along with six of his colleagues, Lebanon’s health ministry said on Friday.

Israeli strikes on two other villages in southern Lebanon killed five medics from a rescue force affiliated with Hezbollah, the Lebanese health ministry said.

Four Italian soldiers were lightly injured after two rockets exploded at a Unifil peacekeeping force base in southern Lebanon, a spokesperson for Unifil said on Friday.

Italian sources said an investigation was under way. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Italian media that Hezbollah might be responsible for the attack.