Prince William has issued a direct plea for an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In an unusual move for a member of the royal family, Prince William emphasised the staggering loss of life and the urgent need for humanitarian assistance in the region.
“I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7. Too many have been killed,” William said via a written statement.
“I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible. There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It’s critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released.
“Sometimes it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home,” he continued.
“Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to the counsel of despair. I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found and I refuse to give up on that.”
The heir to the throne issued this statement the same day he visited the British Red Cross to learn exactly how it is providing aid to those affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
It’s also been confirmed William will attend several other engagements over the next few weeks to understand more about the human impact of the conflict.
In 2018, Prince William made an official visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory – which includes Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalum. He was the first senior British royal to do so.
While political interventions by members of the royal family are rare, Prince William is not the first royal to address the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The war began in October 2023 when Hamas fighters killed approximately 1200 people, mostly civilians, and seized 253 hostages in southern Israel.
At that time, King Charles III described the attack as “barbaric acts of terrorism”.
Since then, the Israeli military response to this attack has – according to Palestinian health authorities – resulted in the deaths of more than 29,000 Palestinians.
