Holding banners and pictures of wounded children, dozens of people demonstrated outside the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei yesterday morning, condemning Israel’s attacks on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying the military action has led to massive civilian injuries and deaths.
“Free Palestine, let Gaza live,” dozens of protesters chanted as they demonstrated outside the Israeli representative office while holding banners and placards condemning Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and urging the US to stop providing military and economic assistance to Jerusalem.
“Since 2000, Israel has killed, on average, one child every three days,” Labor Party Vice Chairman Tang Shu (唐曙) told onlookers. “But in the past nine days since Israel renewed its attacks on the Gaza Strip, the number of children killed has far surpassed that.”
Photo: CNA
Tang said that Israel has accused Hamas of being behind the kidnapping and murder of three Israelis and it launched the attack on the Gaza Strip in retaliation.
“Although there’s already another Islamic group that claims responsibility for [the kidnappings], Israel still launched the military action on Gaza,” Tang said. “As of today, Israeli attacks have led to nearly 200 deaths and injured 1,400 people — and the vast majority of them are civilians.”
“This is not a war, it’s an unjust massacre,” Tang added.
Tang dismissed a ceasefire declaration by Israel, the US and Egypt as “merely a political show” and urged Taiwanese to boycott Israeli products in protest.
A Taiwanese Muslim surnamed Wang (王) slammed Israeli remarks that its attacks on the Gaza Strip were launched in self-defense.
“Would it make any sense to you if another country invaded Taiwan and we resisted for the survival of our own country and then the invader told the world that it was waging war against Taiwan in self-defense?” he said.
In a later statement in response to the protesters, the Israeli representative office said that it would continue its bombing of the Gaza Strip if Hamas did not accept the ceasefire proposed by Egypt.
“Hamas left us no choice — responding with the launch of over 140 rockets on Israeli territory since 9am July 15 — but to broaden and intensify the campaign against it,” the statement said.
“This is what we will do until we achieve our goal — the restoration of quiet for Israel’s citizens by inflicting a significant blow on the terrorist organizations, while taking all possible measures to protect uninvolved civilians,” the statement added.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry
RSS