Image of Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel [lleewu/Flickr]Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.  [lleewu/Flickr]

Berlin, May 15 (RHC)-- Germany issued on Friday a travel alert for Israel and the Palestinian-run territories as the Gaza conflict escalates, Anadolu Agency reported.  "At the moment, we strongly advise against traveling to Israel and the Palestinian territories," Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Christofer Burger told reporters in Berlin.

German airliner Lufthansa had already cancelled its flights to Tel Aviv over the weekend in the wake of escalated tensions in the region since an Israeli court ordered the eviction of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem.

Palestinians protesting in solidarity with residents of the neighborhood were targeted by Israeli forces.  The occupying forces also raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque during special night prayers for the fasting month of Ramadan.

The subsequent escalation of tensions resulted in airstrikes by Israel on Gaza. At least 119 Palestinians, among them 31 children, have been killed and more than 830 wounded since May 10.  Hundreds of Palestinian families have taken refuge in UN-run schools in northern Gaza to escape Israeli artillery fire, with locals reporting that that the strip had experienced its "most violent" night.

German Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman expressed only conditional support for UN calls to de-escalate.  "The goal is to end the violence as quickly as possible," Burger said. "For this it is necessary that the rocket fire against Israel is stopped immediately."