He comes out of his reserve usually imposed by the British royal family.
Prince William called on Tuesday for an “end to the fighting as quickly as possible” in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, saying there had been “too many deaths”.
The Prince of Wales, heir to the throne, said in a statement that he was “very concerned about the human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7.”
A statement from The Prince of Wales pic.twitter.com/LV2jMx75DC
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) February 20, 2024
“There have been too many deaths.
Like so many others, I want the fighting to stop as quickly as possible.
Gaza desperately needs increased humanitarian aid.
It is essential that aid is delivered and that the hostages are released,” he said.
A rare word
William, who rarely appears in public since the abdominal operation undergone by his wife Kate in mid-January, now convalescent, has planned several engagements linked to the conflict, relating to humanitarian aid or in a synagogue for the coming days.
It is very rare for members of the royal family to speak out on current affairs or ongoing conflicts, with the notable exception recently of strong support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion.
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The Israel/Hamas conflict has sparked massive protests in support of the Palestinians in the United Kingdom, where there is a large Muslim community.
Since its outbreak, a sharp increase in the number of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim acts has been noted on British soil.
The conservative government has so far favored calls for “humanitarian pauses” or the search for a “lasting ceasefire” rather than an immediate cessation of hostilities.
However, he toughened his tone at a time when Israel is threatening to launch a major offensive on Rafah, a town in the Gaza Strip where there are 1.5 million people.
The head of diplomacy David Cameron demanded this Monday “an end to the fighting immediately”.
Also read “The noise of the missiles was deafening”: in Rafah, a night of anguish under Israeli bombings
The war was sparked by an unprecedented attack launched on October 7 by Hamas commandos infiltrated into southern Israel.
More than 1,160 people were killed, the majority civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data.
In retaliation, Israel launched an offensive that left 29,092 people dead in the Gaza Strip, the vast majority of them civilians, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health.
According to Israel, 130 hostages are still in Gaza, 30 of whom are believed to have died, out of around 250 people kidnapped on October 7.