Prince William calls for end of war in Gaza: 'Too many have been killed'
The prince did not call for a specific outcome, but said the cost of human life was too high for the conflict to continue
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prince William of the United Kingdom is urging an end to the war in Gaza, citing the "sheer scale of human suffering."
The Prince of Wales made the statement on Tuesday via social media, at odds with the Royal Family's general aversion to wading into current events.
"I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October," Prince William wrote in a monogrammed message shared on X. "Too many have been killed."
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Prince William reacts during a visit to the British Red Cross' headquarters in London. The Prince of Wales visited the British Red Cross to hear about the humanitarian efforts taking place to support those affected by the conflict in the Middle East and in Gaza. (KIN CHEUNG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
"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," the presumed future king of England said. "It's critical that aid gets in and 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."
The statement does not call for a specific outcome but highlights the royal's concern about ongoing issues and rendering aid to the region that has been torn apart by a war that began with the Oct. 7 terror attacks last year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An estimated 29,000 Palestinians have died in the ongoing war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The Israeli Defense Forces reports approximately 574 soldiers killed since Oct. 7, with an additional 2,930 wounded.
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Thousands of civilians, both Palestinians and Israelis, have died since Oct. 7, 2023, after Palestinian Hamas militants based in the Gaza Strip entered southern Israel in an unprecedented attack triggering a war declared by Israel on Hamas with retaliatory bombings on Gaza. (HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)
Approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed in the initial terrorist attacks.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The United Kingdom is strongly allied with Israel, and King Charles III released a statement following the initial attacks, saying he was "appalled by and condemns the barbaric acts of terrorism in Israel."
Prince William is expected to meet in the coming weeks with humanitarian organizations helping to render aid in the region.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Britain's Prince William speaks to the Muslim Custodian of the keys of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Adeeb Judeh Alhusseini as he shows him the key to the church in Jerusalem's Old City in 2018. He was the first member of the royal family to make an official visit to the Jewish state and the Palestinian territories. (GALI TIBBON/AFP via Getty Images)
"Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to the counsel of despair," the prince's message concludes. "I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found and I refuse to give up on that."