Foreign tourists take in Jerusalem's Old City
Foreign tourists take in Jerusalem's Old CityFlash 90

Germany's biggest travel group, TUI, said Thursday it had called off all tours through Israel until the end of the month due to the recent eruption of violence in the region.

"TUI Germany is reacting to the current situation in Israel and has cancelled all tours in the country until July 31 inclusive," the company said in a statement.

"Holidaymakers who have booked a TUI tour through Israel in the next three weeks will be contacted."

The company said it would accept no new bookings for Israel with departure dates in the next three weeks.

Clients who had planned package trips or reserved hotel rooms in Israel that begin before the end of the month would be informed of the German foreign ministry's current travel advisory for the country and asked to reconsider their travel plans, it said.  

Such travelers "can postpone or change their travel plans at no extra charge," the company said.

Current German foreign ministry travel advisory notes there have been "massive rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip in recent days," adding that the Tel Aviv region had also been targeted.

"The Israeli forces have started a military operation to stop such attacks. (But) one must assume the attacks will continue," it said.

No Israelis have been reported dead in the latest violence, although several have been injured and much of the country shut down as Hamas and other terrorist groups have launched waves of rockets across central Israel.

The overall number of Gazans killed since Israel on Tuesday launched Operation Protective Edge to halt cross-border rocket fire reached 76 on Thursday, most are terrorists but several are believed to be civilians used as human shields by Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has vowed even tougher action against Hamas, and the IDF has said there will be no let-up in its offensive until the rocket attacks stop.

Arutz Sheva Staff contributed to this report.