Taiwan is studying the deadly surprise attack that Hamas terrorists from Gaza launched on Israel in the hopes it will help the self-governing island prevent war, a Taiwanese defense official said Thursday, as it deals with threats and intimidation from China.
Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said a task force has been set up to monitor the Hamas-Israel war when asked by reporters about what lessons Taiwan has learned from the attack.
“The initial (lesson) is that intelligence work is very important. With intelligence, many countermeasures can be made. A war can even be avoided,” Chiu said.
More than 2,400 Israelis and Palestinians have been killed in the Middle East since terrorist group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel Saturday morning.
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As of Thursday morning, Israel Defense Forces said more than 1,200 Israelis are dead and at least 3,000 are wounded.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Thursday that at least 25 Americans were killed in the violence after Hamas infiltrated Israel on Saturday.
Chiu said the war “blew up so suddenly,” prompting Taiwan to up its ability to forecast possible threats.
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China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has conducted increasingly large military drills in the air and waters around Taiwan as tensions have grown between the two and with the United States. The U.S. is Taiwan’s main supplier of arms and opposes any attempt to change Taiwan’s status by force.
The Chinese government would prefer that Taiwan come under its control voluntarily and last month unveiled a plan for an integrated development demonstration zone in Fujian province, trying to entice Taiwanese even as it threatens the island militarily in what experts say is China’s long-running carrot and stick approach.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry also expressed its support for Israel in the face of the Hamas attack and said it strongly condemns violence against civilians. Authorities are also in contact with more than 130 Taiwanese citizens residing or traveling in Israel.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
