TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is closely following the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East as it faces its own threat of an invasion by China.

On Saturday (Oct. 7), the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a brazen attack on Israel, marking a turning point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that dates back decades. Israel maintains tight control over the border with Gaza, a small territory home to over two million Palestinians, and Hamas, like most Palestinian groups, sees Israel as an occupier and seeks to "free Palestine" by defeating Israel.

Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said a task force was established to monitor the situation and learn from Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel as Taiwan faces its own threat from China, per Reuters. "The initial (lesson) is that intelligence work is very important. With intelligence, many countermeasures can be made. A war can even be avoided,” the defense minister said.

However, several experts have pointed out key differences between the Israel-Hamas war and the threat Taiwan faces, per CNA. National University of Singapore (NUS) Professor Chong Ja-ian (莊嘉穎) said that Hamas' attack was a form of “asymmetric warfare” and not comparable to Taiwan’s situation.

Taiwan should instead draw broader lessons from the conflict, like re-examining its defense posture, including military mobilization, conscription models, and civil defense capabilities. Chong said that these aspects tend to be resisted by the public.

Further, although Israel was attacked by Hamas in this scenario, the country holds a significant advantage over the militant group and has the power to launch a strong counteroffensive. Israel boasts one of the most powerful militaries in the world, which is further supplemented by U.S. military aid.

However, when it comes to defense, Taiwan has far fewer armaments and troops than China, with China's military and resource advantage likely to grow in the years ahead. Taiwan’s ability to withstand a large-scale Chinese attack would require robust U.S. military intervention, according to an analysis by RAND.

Taiwan has faced increasing pressure to boost its military spending in recent years, even as it receives U.S. funding. The Biden administration may not be able to focus as much attention on Taiwan because of the combined policy focus on Ukraine and now Israel, according to analyses by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

As the war enters its sixth day, Israel has launched deadly airstrikes against Gaza, while it prepares for a ground invasion of the Palestinian territory.

While condemning the "horrific" war crimes committed by Hamas, one UN group warned that Israel’s "indiscriminate military attacks against the already exhausted Palestinian people of Gaza" amounted to "collective punishment." "This is absolutely prohibited under international law," they said.