Israel's representative to Taiwan Maya Yaron thanked Taiwan on Monday for its support after Hamas' deadly attack on her country early Saturday that has left hundreds of people dead.
Backed by a barrage of rockets, Hamas militants from the blockaded Gaza Strip stormed into nearby Israeli towns in an unprecedented surprise attack during a major Jewish holiday Saturday, killing hundreds of people and abducting others.
Responding to the incident, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared the country is "at war."
In an interview with CNA, Yaron, who became head of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei (ISECO) in August, described the attack as "shocking," and said it has hit Israeli society deeply, with most families knowing someone who was kidnapped, murdered, or wounded during Saturday's attack.
Her 16-year-old son, she said, has a same age friend who was kidnapped by Hamas.
"It's my friends, it's my country, it's villages and communities that I know of," she told CNA.
She appreciated the support Taiwan has shown to her country, in particular the condolences and condemnation President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) expressed following the "terrorist attack."
In a statement issued late Saturday, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) "condemned the terrorist attacks against innocent Israeli civilians carried out by Hamas."
On Sunday, meanwhile, Tsai conveyed her condolences to those injured and killed during the attack, and said that as a democratic nation, Taiwan "vehemently opposes all forms of terrorist threats and condemns violent attacks on civilians."
Unfortunately, Yaron said the war has just begun. "It's only day three of this war." She quoted Prime Minister Netanyahu as saying that "this war will be an extensive and prolonged one."
"We may need assistance from the international community. We will be able to come back to our friends here in Taiwan and in the whole world and ask for assistance," she said.
Yaron said the only reason her country is now going into war with Hamas "is because we are forced into, we did not choose this."
It is impossible for Israelis to not retaliate after having witnessed "more than 1,000 civilians being butchered in their house, in their community, and inside the Jewish temples," the representative said while urging local media to describe Hamas as a terrorist organization.
"They are targeting specifically and directly civilians. We have to make sure that we are fighting against terror together, and not alone on this," she said.
Despite the shock from the attack, Israeli society has begun to show its unity, she said.
Following the Hamas attack, thousands of overseas Israelis are now heading home to join the Israeli Defense Forces to do their part in defending their homeland, the envoy said.
One of her friends in his 60s also volunteered to join the IDF to join his two sons who are now serving in the military to defend Israel, she said, and her office is also helping several Israelis in Taiwan who are heading home.
Those who cannot serve in the armed forces volunteer instead, like joining the police force or helping out in the hospitals or even opening their houses to accommodate people in need, according to Yaron.
That, she said, is the Israeli spirit.
Whenever the country faces a major challenge and is in deep pain, there comes a "strong sense of unity and resilience" among Israelis, "and this is when people are coming together."
"We have no question that we have to defend our house and we have to defend Israel."
