Hizbollah rocket hits near Israeli hospital, 6 hurt

JERUSALEM, July 17 (Reuters) A rocket fired by Lebanese guerrilla group Hizbollah landed next to a hospital in the northern Israeli town of Safed today, injuring at least six people, medics said.

The strike came as a barrage of around two dozen rockets fired from Lebanon struck towns and cities across the north, including Haifa, Israel's third-largest city.

The Israeli army said the rocket sent shrapnel into buildings around the hospital, including a synagogue. Medics said two people inside the hospital and four people outside were wounded, although the injuries were believed to be light.

Hizbollah has fired around 500 rockets into Israeli in the past six days, targeting towns and cities across the north and as deep as 50 km (30 miles) inside Israel. Twelve civilians have been killed and several hundred people have been wounded.

Reuters DKS GC0204