Taiwan office in Israel helps two nationals leave amid escalating tensions

Taipei, Oct. 3 (CNA) Taiwan's representative office in Israel helped two Taiwanese nationals leave the country by land transportation on Thursday amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

According to the office, it received a phone call from two Taiwanese on Wednesday who were visiting Israel and wanted to leave, but were unable to due to flight cancelations following Iranian airstrikes.

The office promptly arranged a vehicle to help the two leave Israel. The duo successfully arrived in Jordan earlier Thursday and were waiting to fly back to Taiwan, it said.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) previously said there were 266 Taiwanese citizens in Israel as of late August.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's representative office in Jordan which is also responsible for matters in Lebanon confirmed that one Taiwanese student previously in Lebanon left the Middle Eastern country on a Chinese-government-arranged cargo ship in late September, MOFA said.

There are currently five Taiwanese people in Lebanon. Three have informed the office they will return to Taiwan in early October, it added.

The Jordan office will continue to keep in touch with all five Taiwanese remaining in Lebanon to offer assistance should they need any, according to MOFA.

Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel on Tuesday, as a retaliation following Israeli attacks that killed the leaders of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Iranian military.