Prince William to recognise ‘human suffering’ in Gaza in first comments since conflict began

rince William, Prince of Wales during their visit to We Are Farming Minds charity at Kings Pitt Farm on September 14, 2023 in Hereford, England.

The Prince of Wales will recognise the scale of  “human suffering” caused by the war in Gaza in his first public comments on the conflict since it began last October.

Prince William, 41, expressed “profound concern” about the ongoing violence in the Middle East ahead of an engagement on Tuesday, in which he will meet aid workers involved with the humanitarian effort in the enclave.

The Prince will be briefed on the latest developments in Gaza and how charities are supporting those on the ground. He has been “closely following” the Gaza conflict since the Hamas terror attacks in Israel on Oct 7, the Telegraph understands.

He will join a synagogue discussion with young campaigners against hatred next week, in the wake of a sharp rise in anti-Semitism caused by the conflict.

The Prince is keen to use his platform to highlight the plight of millions of innocent civilians on both sides. The two engagements will be among the first he has conducted since returning from looking after his wife as she recovered from abdominal surgery, and their three children.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson 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.”

The comments come after the Prince and Princess condemned Hamas’s “appalling terrorist attack upon Israel” in October 2023, warning that both parties would be “stalked by grief, fear and anger” as “Israel exercises its right of self defence.”

The Prince made a four-day visit to Israel and Palestine in 2018 and expressed his hope for “lasting peace” in the region.

It was the first official trip by a member of the monarchy to Israel and the occupied West Bank. During his visit, he conducted separate talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president.

The two public engagements to be undertaken by the Prince this week come ahead of an expected Israeli invasion of Rafah, a border city straddling both Gaza and Egypt that is now home to 1.5 million Palestinians, and an all-time in anti-Semitism.

In its annual report, the Community Security Trust described an “explosion of hatred” against the Jewish community last year. The organisation said the surge in anti-Jewish attacks, threats and abuse amounted to a “celebration” of Hamas’s Oct 7 massacre by anti-Semites.

It said there were 4,103 anti-Semitic incidents in the UK throughout 2023, nearly double the previous record in 2021, covering all types of “hate” against Jewish people.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is set to face a fresh revolt from his party on Wednesday, when the Commons votes for a second time over a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Labour leader called for an immediate end to the fighting at the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow on Sunday, marking an apparent change in stance as he warned that Rafah “cannot become a new theatre of war”.

The last vote in November, during which Sir Keir favoured “humanitarian pauses”, prompted the departure of 10 shadow ministers and parliamentary aides who rebelled to back a full ceasefire.

There are now fresh fears about an escalation in the conflict if Israeli forces move into Rafah, with Mr Netanyahu insisting his troops must achieve “complete victory” over Hamas.

Three days after the Oct 7 massacre, which killed some 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage, the Royal family branded Hamas terrorists and said they were “appalled” by the attack on Israel.

King Charles condemned the “barbaric acts of terrorism” and was said to be “extremely concerned” about the conflict, asking to be kept informed.

The King, 75, who is president of the British Red Cross, hosted representatives from five charities operating in the Middle East – including Gaza – to “discuss the acute humanitarian situation” later that month. He also held talks with Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the UK’s Chief Rabbi, to discuss the impact on the UK’s Jewish population.

The British Red Cross said the King had made a “generous donation” to its Israel and occupied Palestinian Territory fundraising appeal. He went on to use his Christmas message to highlight the “increasingly tragic conflict around the world” and urge people to “do all in our power to protect each other”.

A photograph was also released of the King lighting a candle with the Queen to mark Holocaust Memorial Day days before he was admitted to hospital for an enlarged prostate, a procedure after which he was diagnosed with cancer.

In a message released to mark the Holocaust memorial commemorations, he said: “Tragically, we live in a world where violence and acts of unspeakable cruelty are still perpetrated against people for no other reason than their religion, their race or their beliefs.

“In recommitting ourselves to remembering the horrors of the past, we take an important step in creating a safer, freer world today and for future generations.”

Hamas still holds around 130 hostages and a quarter of them are believed to be dead. Meanwhile, some 28,985 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

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