In an unprecedented royal statement on the Israel-Hamas war, which erupted after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October, the royal added he was disturbed by its “human cost” and said “too many have been killed”.
William – who is easing himself back into public duties as his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, 42, continues to recover from the abdominal surgery she underwent in January – said in a statement issued online on Tuesday (20.02.24): “’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.”
William’s message – which was in stark contrast to Queen Elizabeth’s policy of largely avoiding publicly commenting on politics – was released on William and Catherine’s X account in white writing on a black background.
Kensington Palace said: “The Prince and Princess were profoundly concerned by events that unfolded in late 2023 and continue to hold all the victims, their family and friends in their hearts and minds.
“Their Royal Highnesses continue to share in the hope of a better future for all those affected.”
Dad-of-three William also met the British Red Cross on Tuesday, with the heir to the throne saying he wanted to express his worries over the Gaza war “as a father”.
He and Catherine have already released a statement condemning Hamas, saying they were “profoundly distressed” at its October onslaught, which saw around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, slaughtered by the militants when they stormed southern Israel, while at least another 250 were seized as hostages.
The war’s death toll now sits at around 29,092 Palestinians, mostly women and children, with nearly 80 per cent of Gaza’s population driven from their homes and facing death by starvation.
