Six Palestinians injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

Six Palestinians were injured early Friday in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, medical sources and eyewitnesses said.

Eyewitnesses and security sources said Israeli warplanes targeted a dairy factory in Gaza City and a military site used by militants in the southern Gaza Strip.

The injured included children and women, medics told Xinhua.

On Thursday, Israeli security sources said the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted a short-range missile fired from Gaza at southern Israel. Another missile landed in empty areas.

In recent days, violence between Gaza militants and Israel has escalated as 15 missiles have been fired into Israel, drawing Israeli response with night airstrikes.

Gaza has witnessed sporadic rounds of violence between the Israeli army and Palestinian militant groups since Egypt mediated a cease-fire in November 2012.

The deal ended a bloody week of cross-border violence that left 184 Palestinians and six Israelis dead.

The recent escalation followed Israeli accusations that Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, is behind the kidnapping of three Israeli youths on Thursday near the West Bank city of Hebron.

Israeli officials said three yeshiva students, two of them aged 16 and one 19, who attended a religious high school near Hebron, were kidnapped Thursday night by Hamas, which Israel labels as a terrorist group.

Hamas denied any connection to the abduction, accusing Israel of fabricating the incident.