Prince William Calls for End to Gaza Fighting ‘as
Soon as Possible’
In a measured public statement, the heir to the
British throne said that “too many have been killed” in the war between Israel
and Hamas.
Stephen
Castle
By Stephen
Castle
reporting
from London
Feb. 20,
2024
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/world/middleeast/prince-william-israel-hamas-gaza-statement.html
Prince
William, the heir to the British throne, called on Tuesday for an end to the
fighting in Gaza as soon as possible in a rare, if measured, public statement
on the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“I remain
deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle
East since the Hamas terrorist attack” on Oct. 7, the prince said in comments
issued by his office. “Too many have been killed.”
He added:
“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.”
By
tradition, the British royal family keeps itself out of politics, and its
members usually avoid intervening in contentious issues.
Prince
William’s comments came ahead of a meeting in London on Tuesday with the Red
Cross, where he was to be updated on humanitarian efforts to support people
affected by the conflict. Later this month, he is expected to visit a synagogue
to join a discussion with members of the Holocaust Educational Trust, which
campaigns against hatred and antisemitism.
The
prince’s statement added, “Sometimes it is only when faced with the sheer scale
of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home,” and
that “even in the darkest hour we must not succumb to the counsel of despair.”
It
concluded: “I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found
and I refuse to give up on that.”
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