《TAIPEI TIMES》 Taiwanese recount Hamas attack

‘TERRIFYING’: Over 100 Taiwanese were visiting Israel when the attack occurred, with one saying she saw rockets flying in the distance and heard explosions

/ Staff writer, with CNA

請繼續往下閱讀...

Some Taiwanese tourists who were in Israel when the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked returned to Taiwan yesterday, with one saying it was a “terrifying moment.”

“Sirens were heard at first, then the rockets were spotted,” a woman identified only by her last name Tsai （蔡） said upon arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

Tsai was with a group of Taiwanese visiting Jerusalem on Saturday when she saw several rockets flying in the sky from a distance.

“The sound of explosions that followed shocked everyone,” Tsai said, adding that she found it hard to fathom how a simple sightseeing trip turned into a crisis.

Another person surnamed Chang （張） said he was in Israel to observe Sukkot, a major Jewish festival, when the attack occurred.

The attack mostly affected southern Israel in areas bordering Gaza.

Chang had already returned to northern Israel with the group he was traveling with when Hamas attacked, but the situation was still intense as many shops were closed and there were few people on the streets, he said, adding that local authorities warned tourists to leave Israel as soon as possible.

However, he would return to Israel if given the opportunity, Chang added.

There were five tour groups with a combined 124 people from Taiwan in Israel when the attack occurred, the Tourism Administration said.

Some were able to return to Taiwan via a Cathay Pacific flight yesterday, but the exact number was not known, as travel agents refused to share more information.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised its travel alert for Israel to “yellow” following the attack, advising people to reconsider any travel plans to the country or be extra careful if they had to go there.

In case of an emergency when visiting Israel, Taiwanese nationals can call the representative office in Israel at +972-544-275-204 or the ministry’s Taipei headquarters’ 24-hour hotline free of charge at +886-800-085-095, the ministry said in a statement.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES