BEIRUT

The death toll from an Israeli airstrike Friday on Beirut's Southern Suburb region has climbed to 37, the Lebanese health ministry stated Saturday.

In a statement, the ministry said debris removal was "underway continuously."

"Lebanon is witnessing a war crime, as was evident in the Israeli raid on the southern suburb," Firas Al-Abiad, Lebanese health minister, said earlier in a news conference.

He confirmed that among the victims were seven women, three children aged four, six, and 10, and three Syrian nationals.

Al-Abiad said that there are a significant number of unidentified body parts at the scene, complicating the identification of some victims.

"The war on Lebanon continues, and we are preparing to confront its repercussions," the minister added.

The health minister reported that 68 individuals injured in the attack were transferred to 12 hospitals across Beirut. Of these, 53 have since been discharged, while 15 remain under medical care, including two individuals in critical condition.

The Israeli army said Friday it assassinated Hezbollah’s top military commander Ibrahim Aqil, along with senior commanders from the group's elite Radwan Force during its airstrike on the southern suburb.

The strike marks the third attack by Israel on the southern suburb since an ongoing wave of hostilities began nearly a year ago.

The airstrike occurred amid a new wave of Israeli escalation in Lebanon, with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announcing Thursday that the conflict with Hezbollah has entered “a new phase.”

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi and Rania Abu Shamala