UPDATE - 9 medical staff wounded in Israeli shelling on Lebanese hospital

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By Stephanie Radi

BEIRUT (AA) - Nine nurses and health workers were wounded Friday from Israeli artillery shelling on a courtyard of a hospital in southern Lebanon.

The Salah Ghandour Hospital in the town of Bint Jbeil said it was "subject to a brutal Zionist shelling after receiving a warning to evacuate," that resulted in injuries to staff, most of them in serious condition.

It added that management was forced to evacuate medical staff and patients.

The Israeli army struck the vicinity and courtyard of the hospital with at least four artillery shells, state news agency NNA reported earlier.

The agency said the entire staff of the Marjayoun public hospital in southern Lebanon was evacuated, putting the hospital out of service after an Israeli threat to target it.

The conflict in the Gaza Strip spread to Lebanon when Israel launched deadly strikes across the country late last month, killing more than 1,100 victims and displacing tens of thousands, Israel also assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. A ground invasion of Lebanon was announced Tuesday.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara