Heir to the British throne, Prince Williams on Tuesday called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war at the earliest stating that “too many have been killed” and there is a “desperate need of humanitarian aid” in the war-torn Gaza.
“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,” Reuters quoted Prince William, who is the eldest son of King Charles as saying.
The statement further reiterates that the prince wants to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible and believes in the need of a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza.
“It’s critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released,” it added. His statement came after he visited the British Red Cross in London.
The prince also participated in a video call with the Red Cross staff members deployed in Gaza, who gave him a first-hand account of the situation in the conflicted region, BBC reported.
Prince William’s remarks on the situation in the Middle East hold great significance as it is highly unusual for members of the royal family to comment on current and politicised issues such as Gaza.
However, it has been noted that William made use of careful language that focused on universal humanity rather than taking sides in the conflict.
In 2018, the Prince of Wales became the first senior British royal to make an official visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel from Gaza on October 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 men, women and children hostage.
After a round of exchanges for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel in November, around 130 remain captive, a fourth of them believed to be dead.
More than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war since its onset, the territory’s Health Ministry said Monday.
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