An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon has killed a dozen medical staff at a clinic, Lebanese health authorities have said according to AFP.

“We have prepared ourselves for a long confrontation, and God willing, they (Israelis) will be surprised on the battlefield,” Qassem said yesterday in his second televised address since the latest war began. “This is an existential battle, not a limited or simple battle.”

Lebanese health authorities said an Israeli strike killed 12 doctors, paramedics and nurses working at a healthcare centre in the town of Burj Qalawiya, following another strike on the town of Sawaneh that left two paramedics affiliated with Hezbollah and its ally Amal dead.