At least 21 people have been killed and eight others injured in a rare Israeli air strike in northern Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry says.

The U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday it had received reports that most of the 22 victims of an Israeli air strike on a building in northern Lebanon were women and children.

Lebanon's health ministry said at least 21 people died Monday in a rare Israeli strike on a northern Christian-majority village, far from Hezbollah strongholds, with DNA tests being conducted to identify body parts.