Israeli Strike on South Beirut Kills Hezbollah Commander, Death Toll Climbs to 31

The death toll from the Israeli missile strike on a multistory building in southern Beirut has risen to 31, according to Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad.

In a press conference on Saturday, Abiad confirmed that the victims included three children and seven women. Additionally, three Syrian nationals were among those killed, while 68 people were reported injured.

Hezbollah has also confirmed that at least 16 of its members, including high-ranking commanders, died in the airstrike, which took place on Friday.

Rescue teams were still working to clear the rubble on Saturday, searching for missing persons. Abiad noted that some of the body parts recovered were unidentifiable.

The minister also updated the death toll from the earlier explosions targeting Hezbollah members via pagers and walkie-talkies, which had risen to 39: 12 people died on Tuesday and 27 more on Wednesday.