EVACUATION CONTINGENCY:
The foreign ministry said that Taiwanese in Israel who want to get out of the country, either by air or land, would be given assistance
By Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it is maintaining contact with Taiwanese in Israel and working with international partners to provide humanitarian aid to locals.
Israel and Hamas on Wednesday announced a four-day truce that is to include the release of 50 women and children held hostage in Gaza in return for 150 Palestinian women and children in Israeli jails.
The ministry expressed hope that the agreement would lead to peace, and help with subsequent mediation and communication, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Anthony Ho (賀忠義) told a regular news briefing.
Photo: Yang Hsiao-ju, Taipei Times
Among the 135 Taiwanese known to be in Israel, 11 are students, 76 have settled in the country due to marriage and 48 are family members of Taiwanese living in Israel or short-term residents, Ho said.
The government will continue to follow the situation in Israel and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv will provide timely assistance to Taiwanese when needed, he said.
Following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants, the ministry arranged a charter flight to evacuate Taiwanese on Oct. 20, helping 166 Taiwanese depart.
A Taiwanese-Israeli couple and their two children on Nov. 3 departed on a charter flight arranged by the Japanese government.
The ministry is to continue to help Taiwanese in Israel who would like to leave the country, either by air — as some local civil aviation services are still operating — or by land via Jordan, where Taiwan has an office that can provide assistance, Ho said.
The ministry will pass on information to Taiwanese in Israel about evacuation flights arranged by like-minded countries, he said.
Taiwan is working with international partners and non-governmental organizations on plans to provide humanitarian relief to civilians affected by the war, he said.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese university students studying in Israel can continue their education in Taiwan through a program drawn up by the Ministry of Education.
Those who would like to transfer to universities in Taiwan at the same level or apply for higher-level programs can contact the education ministry at (02) 7736-6045 for details, the ministry said.
Universities are to help make arrangements for those who apply under such circumstances, it said.
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