At least 21 killed by Israeli airstrike in northern Lebanon

At least 21 people were killed and eight others were injured by an Israeli airstrike in northern Lebanon on Monday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.

The attack targeted a residential building in the predominantly Christian town of Aitou, where numerous displaced families took shelter after Israel ordered evacuations from the south and Beirut.

So far the main focus of Israel's military operations in Lebanon has been in the south, the Bekaa Valley in the east, and the suburbs of Beirut.

Rescue workers at the site of the strike searched through piles of rubble on Monday, where burned vehicles and trees could be seen strewn across the ground.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said DNA tests are being conducted to determine the identity of the remains that were removed from the site of the attack. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue to attack Hezbollah "without mercy, everywhere in Lebanon – including Beirut".

Meanwhile, the Israeli military in a statement said approximately 115 projectiles fired by Hezbollah crossed from Lebanon into Israel on Monday. 

On Sunday, four Israeli soldiers were killed and 58 others were injured by a Hezbollah drone strike targeting a training facility for the Golani Brigade near the town of Binyamina in northern Israel. 

Israeli strikes have killed at least 2,309 people in Lebanon over the last year, the Lebanese government said in its daily update. The majority have been killed since late September when Israel expanded its military campaign.

Israel says its operations in Lebanon are aimed at securing the return of tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes in northern Israel.