Prince William has said he wants “to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible” as he delivered a major intervention on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
He said it is “critical” humanitarian aid gets into Gaza and that Hamas release the remaining hostages in a strongly-worded statement issued on Tuesday afternoon.
The Prince of Wales, 41, said he is refusing to give up on “permanent peace in the Middle East” and has called for an end to the fighting as soon as possible.
William made the strongly-worded statement ahead of a series of engagements to recognise the human suffering caused by the ongoing war in the region and the subsequent conflict in Gaza. The Express understands that the Government and Foreign Office were fully briefed about the contents of William’s speech beforehand.
The heir to the throne said: “I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October. Too many have been killed. 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.
“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.”
Earlier today it was revealed that the Prince and Princess of Wales would “hold all the victims” of the Gaza war in their hearts and minds.
William pledged in 2018, when he became the first royal to officially visit the Israel and the Palestinian territories, to make Middle East peace his lifelong project.
He will meet aid workers helping to provide humanitarian support in the region, hearing about the experiences of those on the ground, and separately join a synagogue discussion with young people from different communities who are advocates against hatred and antisemitism.
The October 7 raids by the Palestinian militant group Hamas killed about 1,200 people, with around 250 taken hostage.
Militants still hold around 130 hostages and a quarter of them are believed to be dead.
The war has killed at least 28,985 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
There are fresh fears about an escalation in the conflict if Israeli forces move into Rafah, a city and major aid delivery point in southern Gaza.
The Arab Group chair this month, Tunisia’s UN ambassador Tarek Ladeb, told UN reporters last Wednesday that some 1.5 million Palestinians who sought safety in Rafah face a “catastrophic scenario” if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu goes ahead with a potential evacuation of civilians and military offensive in the area bordering Egypt.