Israel has responded to Prince William‘s statement over the Gaza conflict, saying the country also wants to see an end to the fighting.
The Prince of Wales, 41, ramped up his family’s response to the Israel-Hamas war after he and wife Kate had earlier put out a joint statement of ‘distress’.
The heir to the throne expressed how his family was ‘deeply concerned’ about its ‘human cost’ in an impassioned statement just hours after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for an ‘immediate humanitarian ceasefire’.
It comes as royal experts say that his well-choreographed call for an end to the Gaza conflict showed he plans to be a hands-on King – while MPs have questioned whether King Charles knew about his son’s statement before it was released.
The comment comes just the day before MPs will debate and vote on an SNP measure calling for an unqualified ‘immediate ceasefire’ to end the bloodshed, even if Israeli hostages are not returned.
Labour has added an amendment as it also calls for an ‘immediate humanitarian ceasefire’, adding a string of caveats to the demand.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces said: ‘Israelis of course want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible and that will be possible once the 134 hostages are released and once the Hamas terror army threatening to repeat the October 7 atrocities is dismantled.
The Prince of Wales, 41, ramped up his family’s response to the Israel-Hamas war after he and wife Kate had earlier put out a joint statement of ‘distress’. Pictured: During a visit to the British Red Cross’ headquarters
Prince William has today issued the royals’ strongest statement yet on the Gaza conflict
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said today’s intervention was evidence that William was following elements of his father Charles’ ‘outspoken’ approach to issues of the day. Pictured: The King attends this Sunday’s service
‘We appreciate the Prince of Wales’ call for Hamas to free the hostages. We also recall with gratitude his statement from October 11 condemning Hamas’ terror attacks and reaffirming Israel’s right of self defence against them.’
Conservative MPs were wary of publicly criticising Prince William but some questioned the royal’s ‘highly political’ message, calling his intervention ‘unwise’.
But royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said today’s intervention was evidence that William was following elements of his father Charles’ ‘outspoken’ approach to issues of the day.
He told MailOnline: ‘The language William used in this statement was very stark.
‘William has not been outspoken in the same way as Charles and tends to behave more like the Queen by being very circumspect.
‘But he can be outspoken in very specific circumstances when he knows his words will carry weight.
‘So while their style is very different, there something in his father in the way he made this statement.
‘Over time we will judge how his style develops.’
Mr Fitzwilliams added that William was ‘following in his father’s footsteps’ by showing his interest interfaith relations.
The Prince’s statement insisted ‘too many have been killed’ since Hamas‘s terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October last year.
The royal’s public remarks are the most outspoken by any member of the royal family since the Israel-Hamas war broke out – and come in stark contrast to the late Queen’s approach, when she would steer clear of commenting on political issues.
King Charles has been strident in his approach to environmental campaigning- most recently issuing a call to arms at the Cop28 summit in Dubai this December, where he warned that man is carrying out a ‘vast, frightening experiment’ on the planet.
But speaking about William’s statement, a former minister told MailOnline: ‘I think that it is very unwise for him to get involved in an issue like this. He is getting some seriously bad advice.
‘I can only assume that he has not been able to speak to the King, because he would certainly not have approved.’
Prince William, pictured at the British Red Cross HQ in London today, has released an impassioned statement in which he says ‘too many’ have been killed’ in the Gaza conflict
‘Their Royal Highnesses hold all the victims, their families and their friends in their hearts and minds,’ a spokesperson previously said on behalf of William and Kate, pictured
The Prince of Wales listened today to Pascal Hundt, senior crisis manager with the International Committee of the Red Cross, dialling in from Gaza
Reform UK party president Nigel Farage reacted to the statement on X, formerly Twitter
Andrew Percy, vice-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on anti-semitism, added: ‘The underlying principle of our constitutional monarchy is that members of the royal family do not engage in contentious political issues of the day on which there are divergent and strongly-held beliefs in this country.
‘Members of the royal family would do well to remember that.’
Another Tory MP said the Prince’s statement used ‘similar language as the Government’. But they suggested William had still been unwise to get involved in the issue as both sides would now pray him in aid.
‘I wonder how it will play out in the Opposition debate tomorrow,’ the MP said, referring to the looming SNP motion demanding an immediate ceasefire.
Reform UK party president Nigel Farage posted on X, formerly Twitter: ‘I’m not sure that our future King should be doing this. He should stick to the BAFTAs.’
William has been easing himself back into public engagements after taking time off to look after his wife recovering from abdominal surgery – yet his strident statement today gives a signal to his intentions when taking the throne.
The prince – whose father Charles has been outspoken on environmental concerns – said today: ‘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.
Tory MPs were wary of publicly criticising the heir to the throne over the intervention
‘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.’
The strongly worded message was issued in white writing on a black background, under William’s cypher, on the Waleses’ X account.
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.’
At the meeting with the British Red Cross today, the heir to the throne expressed his concern ‘as a father’ at the ongoing crisis and the immense loss of life in the Middle East.
He spoke to Rory Moylan, head of region for the neutral charity.
The Prince began by apologising for having to postpone their original meeting last month.
He had been due to visit with his wife, the Princess of Wales, aides explained, but was forced to cancel due to her abdominal surgery.
‘It was important [to me] to get back in as soon as possible,’ he said.
‘I obviously went there in 2018 and I feel…it had a lasting impression on me.
‘So I have always been keeping an eye on what’s going on. I am very keen to hear from you guys what’s going on on the ground and how the Red Cross teams, in particular, are managing in very difficult circumstances.’
Mr Moylan explained: ‘We really appreciate the interest you are showing in this.
‘You will have heard it described as a catastrophic situation and that certainly matches our analysis.
‘It has been getting worse for some time and has the potential to get exponentially worse to be quite honest.
‘It’s hard for us to articulate how concerned we are about it and how complicated it is for us as a movement in the way we have tried to respond to it. It is intensely traumatic for people, it has garnered global interest and global concern and has had impact across the region.
Among those William met was Barbara Smith of the British Red Cross’s psycho-social team
The Prince and Princess of Wales shared another tweet on their official X account
‘It is extremely polarising, it is highly politicised. And with all of that it makes it very hard for us as humanitarian workers to bring that agenda back to a humanitarian situation and not to be drawn into all those elements that I have just outlined. That makes it a very difficult environment to navigate. ‘
He continued: ‘We all the hear the numbers but the sense of shock has worn off. We have a difficult to express and communicate how concerning the situation is: 30,000 dead approaching, 5,000 injured and that’s out of a population of two million in Gaza. We have over a hundred hostages still being held, 1.7 million displaced from their homes in Gaza, which is effectively the entire population.
‘A health system which it is fair to say that is decimated inside Gaza, it is not functioning.
‘There’s no hospital that is functioning, staff are operating under intolerable conditions, without proper resources, they are displaced themselves and worried for their families. Food, people are effectively starving.’
He explained to the Prince that the work of the Palestine Red Crescent Society was instrumental on the ground.
‘They are part of their communities and having been providing life saving services – blood transfusions, running ambulances services, hospitals….and a central role in the logistics operation,’ he said.
William listens to Pascal Hundt, Senior Crisis Manager, International Committee of the Red Cross, dialling in on a video call from Gaza
William, who was accompanied by his new international affairs advisor, David Hunt, who has been on secondment from the FCO since last summer, listened intently, occasionally chewing his lip in concern.
Clare Clement, director of international law and policy for the British Red Cross, also spoke to the prince and told him: ‘There are challenges for us and all of our partners are doing an extraordinary job but we have some severe issues in terms of access and protection from the fighting.
‘We have had two Palestine Red Crescent ambulance drivers discovered last week in a bombed out ambulance on their way to try and rescue a six year old girl who was also found dead.
‘These individual examples belie the truth that we are seeing lots of our colleagues killed. We have seen 14 Palestine Red Crescent colleagues killed.’
Afterwards William sat down to speak to members of the organisation’s psycho-social team who provide mental health support to those working on the ground.
‘How do you approach the situation, how do you start a conversation,’ he asked.
On the way to his next part of the visit, William stopped to chat to staff who were eating their lunch in the open-plan office and were agog at his presence.
Although there was some lighthearted small talk about lunch, William made a point of thanking each and every person of the several dozen he spoke to for their efforts in everything from fundraising to HR.
He told one group: ‘Lunch! Bit of Pret, [more Pret]… someone needs to have a burger. This all looks very healthy. I want to thank you guys for all your hard work .
Prince William was guided by British Red Cross chair Liz Padmore, centre, and BRC chief executive Beatrice Butsana-Sita, right
‘You are making a massive difference. You are dealing with very serious, very traumatic, very hostile situation and you keep going every day.
‘Extraordinary. Keep positive. It just feels like that we go from one crisis to another. ‘
He told another group: ‘It’s very healthy here too. I’ve said to the others that you are doing a fantastic job. I know it’s very, very difficult for everyone. ‘
Downstairs in the basement, William dialled into the Palestinian Red Crescent, which was held in private due to some of the sensitivities of the conversation.
But an aide said afterwards that he was particularly interested to learn more about the suffering of children on the ground ‘as a father’ and what families were experiencing on both sides.
He also spoke publicly to Pascal Hundt, senior crisis manager from the International Committee of the Red Cross, who called in live from Gaza. He spent two months there last year after the conflict erupted and has been in the region for the past month.
The heir told him: ‘ Good morning or good afternoon and thank you for joining us. I am sorry to hold you up. I just wanted to hear a little bit about what’s going on out there and how you are coping. ‘
Mr Hundt told William: ‘I don’t even have words any more to describe what we are seeing and hearing. I’ve been doing that job for the past thirty years…I was in a delegation in Ukraine last year, and in many crises, Afghanistan, Syria, and this is something unprecedented.
Speaking after the visit, Mr Moylan said William’s decision to ‘raise his head above the parapet and show his support’ was ‘extremely important’
The Prince of Wales talked to employees of the British Red Cross at its headquarters in London
‘It is an incredibly dark page of history. In history we will remember what happened here. The need to unbelievable.
‘As I speak I was just looking outside and we see a huge column of smoke, bombing started again in Gaza.
‘It is an extremely kinetic type of warfare and massive use of weapons in a densely populated area. Here were are about five kilometers from Gaza, and when we see the bombing here we cannot only hear them but we can feel them, we can feel the shockwaves.
‘You can imagine the distress it is for the local population that was forced to move several times with a health system that has totally collapse, a hospital that needs not only to be protected as structure but the supply of drugs, of fuel is not guaranteed.
‘Then the hospital cannot function any more. It is becoming a cemetery. We have seen this many times and it is what we are witnessing today.
‘It is difficult and dangerous. We are closely coordinated with the parties, including the Israelis, but we have already had two serious security incidents.
‘We have lost 14 volunteers who are working to try and alleviate the suffering of the people. It is extremely volatile and quite unpredictable. We see really hungry mobs jumping on trucks and looting because they are hungry and need to feed their families. It is extremely challenging. ‘
Mr Hundt explained that they were building up their own field hospitals, as well as working a neutral intermediaries on behalf of the hostages.
‘We are ready as soon as the final agreement [is ready]. It will be a tremendous relief to the families and the hostages. As you can imagine what they have endured for so many days. But we think this will be something good for the two million people living here,’ he said.
‘But even with our efforts combined what we see here is beyond what we can do together. We need the parties to ensure the respect of international humanitarian law, that the population get access to humanitarian aid…we are powerless since such an environment,’ he said.
Asking the prince whether he had any questions, William replied: ‘How are you keeping spirits up in your organisation? How are you keeping people motivated to deliver support and the humanitarian work you are doing in such conditions?’
As he left the building a large crowd had built up and there were two shout of ‘Free free Palestine’ as he left but otherwise people were simply craning to get a picture of him.
Royal aides said it was ‘really important’ to the prince to be able to use his platform to ‘shine a light on the human suffering’ in the Middle East.
They stressed that the prince’s office had consulted with the FCO before his statement was released.
They said it was neither calling for a ceasefire or a ‘two state’ solution.
‘That is something we would not get involved with but UK government’s policy is very clear on this,’ they added.
It is understood that William has ‘thought a lot about making a statement’.
Speaking after the visit, Mr Moylan said the Prince’s decision to ‘raise his head above the parapet and show his support’ was ‘extremely important’.
British Red Cross officials Clare Clement, director of international law and policy, and head of region MENA and Europe Rory Moylan talk to BRC chairwoman Liz Padmore and William
Prince William met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara during his visit to the country in 2018
He said: ‘Certainly someone of his stature coming to our offices and to show interest and give us the time to run him through what is happening and our partners in the Middle East to tell him what they are going through is extremely important.
‘It was a sign of solidarity to our partners, Palestine Red Crescent, who he had the chance to speak to.
‘It goes a long way. And for our own staff here as well. It is motivation for us and reassures us that people are interested in the humanitarian situation. We are always looking to bring awareness.’
Mr Moylan said of William’s statement: ‘He showed great interest in the human element, the individual suffering. He heard both the overarching situation but also personal examples of how people are affected by that.
‘And it’s exactly that we try to draw attention to. We find we are having difficulty to get people to see how serious it still is.’
Staff at the British Red Cross said their immediate focus was on the safety of civilians and getting in food, water purification tablets, medicine, oxygen and shelter. It is currently working with 30 ex-pats and 130 local staff on the ground in Gaza.
Talking of the private video call with Palestinian staff, Mr Moylan said: ‘He heard an example of staff from Palestine Red Crescent who had lost their family members.
‘An ambulance worker whose entire family had been killed in his house and he had not been able to collect the bodies of those who had been killed. They remain under the rubble, unfortunately. He showed a real human interest in what we were talking him through. ‘
The future King shook hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in 2018
The Prince and Princess of Wales published another tweet along with some photos from the event on their official X account.
It said: ‘Understanding how the British Red Cross is providing vital humanitarian ad to those affected by the conflict in the Middle East.
‘Staff and volunteers continue to work day and night to bring life-saving assistance and medical treatment to those who need it most.’
After the attack on Israel last October 7, the Prince and Princess of Wales did release a statement condemning Hamas – with the royal couple saying they were ‘profoundly distressed’ by what they had witnessed.
A statement released on their behalf read: ‘As Israel exercises its right of self defence, all Israelis and Palestinians will continue to be stalked by grief, fear and anger in the time to come.
‘Their Royal Highnesses hold all the victims, their families and their friends in their hearts and minds.’
The Prince visited the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem in 2018
William undertook in 2018, on behalf of the Government, the first official trip by a member of the monarchy to Israel and the Occupied West Bank.
During his visit he sat down for separate talks with Mr Netanyahu and the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
On behalf of the King, who is now undergoing cancer treatment, a Buckingham Palace spokesman previously said in response to the October 7 attack: ‘This is a situation His Majesty is extremely concerned about and he has asked to be kept actively updated.
‘His thoughts and prayers are with all of those suffering, particularly those who have lost loved ones, but also those actively involved as we speak.’
He added: ‘His Majesty is appalled by and condemns the barbaric acts of terrorism in Israel.’
Members of the royal family are expected by protocol to remain politically neutral, although William has previously discussed Brexit with farmers while his brother Prince Harry has criticised Donald Trump and the Duchess of Sussex has taken a stand against voter suppression.
In the October 7 attack, Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people – mostly civilians – while taking an estimated 250 hostage.
Militants still hold about 130 hostages, a fourth of them believed to be dead.
Most of the others were released during a week-long ceasefire in November.
The war has killed at least 29,092 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
About 80 per cent of Gaza’s population have been driven from their homes and a quarter face starvation.
Earlier today, Labour leader Sir Keir tabled an amendment to an SNP motion in a bid to stop his MPs siding with the SNP in a vote tomorrow.
Although the text represents a major shift by Sir Keir, it does put the ceasefire call alongside a demand for Hamas to release all hostages.
He had previously called for a ‘ceasefire that lasts’ in the Middle East, but stopped short of using the word ‘immediate’.
A source close to US President Joe Biden says he feels Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured right as the pair meet, is ‘giving him hell’ over ceasefire negotiations
Global concern has mounted over the fate of 1.4million Palestinians forced by fighting into Rafah near the Egyptian border – amid dire food shortages in crowded makeshift shelters
Demonstrations have been staged in both the UK and the US calling for a ceasefire – this one pictured held yesterday in the Queens district of New York
US president Joe Biden has called for a temporary ceasefire to allow the release of hostages
The heavy death toll and widespread damage have led to mounting criticism of Israel and growing worldwide calls for a halt to fighting.
The United States has proposed a potential United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza in what appeared to be the latest move by the White House to rein in Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the draft resolution the US says there should be a temporary ceasefire ‘as soon as practicable’, although no date was given.
Washington has previously been averse to the word ceasefire in any UN action relating to its ally Israel’s war against Hamas.
The US draft resolution echoes language that President Joe Biden said he used last week in conversations with Mr Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.
At the time Biden said: ‘I feel very strongly about it, that there has to be a temporary ceasefire to get the prisoners out, to get the hostages out.’
The US also warned Israel against the assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where some 1.5 million Palestinians have sought safety.
The proposed resolution says Israel’s planned major ground offensive ‘should not proceed under current circumstances.’
It also states that further displacement of civilians, ‘including potentially into neighbouring countries’ like Egypt would have serious implications for regional peace and security.