Prince William visits British Red Cross amidst crisis in Gaza
Rishi Sunak has "welcomed" Prince William's emotive Gaza statement and said it is "consistent with the Government's position".
The future King today (February 20) visited the British Red Cross's headquarters and coincided it with a heartfelt statement on why fighting in Gaza should stop. The rare statement, which prompted criticism from ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage, has won praise from the Prime Minister.
A spokeswoman for the PM said: "[His message is] consistent with the Government position, and we welcome that intervention. It is important that we speak with one voice as a nation."
Prince William's statement said in full: "I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October.
"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.
READ MORE: William's major intervention into Gaza war shows he's willing to take action
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Prince William has been supported by Rishi Sunak (Image: Getty)
"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."
Prince William was the first member of the British Royal Family to make an official visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories in 2018, and has pledged to make peace in the region one of his top priorities.
As a royal William must be careful to avoid making overtly political statements, as he is the future King and cannot be seen to be aligned to any particular organisation.
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The current wave of the conflict began on October 7 last year, when the militant group Hamas raided Israeli territory killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage.
Retaliatory attacks by Benjamin Netanyahu have so far killed at least 28,985 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
It is thought 130 people are still being held hostage, however a quarter of those are now feared to have been killed with no sign of a ceasefire being reached.
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Prince William visiting the Red Cross (Image: Getty)
Many Palestinians have now travelled to Rafah in the south of Gaza seeking safety, where much of the aid is being delivered, however Israeli forces are now threatening to target the area.
The Arab Group chair this month, Tunisia's UN ambassador Tarek Ladeb, told UN reporters last Wednesday that some 1.5 million Palestinians who sought safety in Rafah face a "catastrophic scenario" if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu goes ahead with a military offensive.
Last October following the attack on Israel King Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle all made statements expressing their sympathy with the victims.
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