The Israeli army continued airstrikes on the northern Gaza Strip early on Saturday, causing no injuries, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said.

The sources said Israeli F-16 warplanes hovered over northern Gaza and fired four missiles at uninhabited areas near the northern Gaza villages of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun.

Witnesses said the missiles caused massive explosions and left deep craters in the ground.

Security sources said one of the missiles landed close to a post of the Palestinian security forces, adding that the aim of the Israeli strikes was to destroy the roads leading to the areas from which militants frequently fire rockets on Israel.

Meanwhile, Israeli army tanks stationed along the northern Gaza border fired four artillery rounds at empty areas in northern Gaza, Palestinian security sources said. No injuries were reported.

The airstrikes came after members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's armed wing, and the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) fired two homemade rockets at southern Israel earlier in the day. No injuries were reported.

On Friday night, an Israeli drone fired at least three missiles at a Palestinian car in Beit Hanoun, killing a militant of the al- Aqsa Martyrs Brigades identified as Majed Nattat, security sources said.

The sources added that three other Aqsa members, who were also in the car when the strike took place, jumped out of the car and survived.

An Israeli army spokesman said the four Aqsa militants were on their way to launch rockets at Israel.

Israel has started intense airstrikes on northern Gaza since a Jihad member blew himself up in an open-air market in the northern Israeli city of Hadera on Wednesday, killing five Israelis.

Source: Xinhua