Beirut, Lebanon - The UN children's agency has condemned Israel's brutal week-long bombardment of Lebanon, which is killing children "at a frightening rate."

The violent escalation in Israel's war on Lebanon reached fever pitch this week, as Israeli airstrikes killed over 700 people and wounded thousands more.

While Israel says its attacks are aimed at taking out arch-rival militant group Hezbollah, Lebanese authorities have pointed out that most of its victims are civilians, with entire buildings being razed to the ground, the health care system overwhelmed, and tens of thousands fleeing their homes.

On Monday and Tuesday, 50 of those killed were children, UNICEF said, citing Lebanese ministry data. Airstrikes have continued unabated through Friday, with no end in sight, as Israeli ministers refusing talk of a ceasefire and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – who will address the UN General Assembly in New York Friday – instructing his army to "continue the fighting with full force."

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"The attacks on Lebanon are killing and injuring children at a frightening rate," UNICEF's Lebanon representative Edouard Beigbeder said.

The situation "has moved from crisis to catastrophe. The suffering of children must stop," Beigbeder said, calling for a halt in the fighting.

Israel is also continuing its complete destruction of Gaza – the catalyst for the current hostilities with Hezbollah – where over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed.