Prince William is calling for “an end to the fighting” in the Middle East, saying he’s “deeply concerned about the terrible human cost” amid the Israel-Hamas war.
“Too many have been killed,” the 41-year-old heir to the British throne said in a Tuesday statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible,” William added of the conflict, which began following Hamas’s Oct. 7 invasion of Israel.
The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas and does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, estimated earlier this week that 29,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s retaliatory strike on Gaza began.
“There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It’s critical that aid gets in and hostages are released,” the prince said.
William’s comments came the same week that a report from the Global Nutrition Cluster, an aid partnership led by UNICEF, found that one in six children younger than 2 in northern Gaza are malnourished.
William toured the British Red Cross headquarters in London on Tuesday to “hear more about the human impact” of the Middle East conflict and to learn about “those supporting the humanitarian response.” He’s reportedly poised to visit a synagogue next week as part of an engagement focused on antisemitism.
The Biden administration has been working to broker a long-term peace plan that would see a pause in fighting, the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a two-state solution, saying that it would be considered a “huge reward” for Hamas following the Oct. 7 attack.
In his statement, William — whose father, King Charles III, was diagnosed with an unspecified cancer earlier this month — said, “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,” he said, “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.”
