Prince William says he is ‘deeply concerned’ about the ‘human cost’ of the conflict in Gaza where ‘too many have been killed’

Prince William has made an unprecedented royal intervention into the Gaza conflict by issuing a statement saying he feels ‘deeply concerned’ about its ‘human cost’ – and called for an end to the war.

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’.

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.

In a new and impassioned statement today, he insisted ‘too many have been killed’ since Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October last year, just hours after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for an ‘immediate humanitarian ceasefire’.

William’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.

William – 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.

‘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. 

‘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, 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.

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.’

Tory MPs were wary of publicly criticising the heir to the throne over the intervention.

But one 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.’

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.

Tory MP Andrew Percy, vice-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on anti-semitism, said: ‘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.’

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.’

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’. 

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.