Britain's Prince William called on Tuesday for an end to the fighting in Gaza, saying the "sheer scale of human suffering" had brought home the need for peace in an enclave "where too many have been killed".
In an unusually direct intervention for a member of the royal family, William, the heir to the British throne, said it was critical that aid got through to those sheltering in Gaza, and that Hamas must release the hostages.
"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," William said in a statement.
In 2018, William became the first senior British royal to make an official visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories, and since then, he has followed the region closely, his office said.
Kensington Palace added that Britain's foreign office had been briefed about William's statement before he made it.
"Sometimes it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home," he said.
The 41-year-old visited the British Red Cross headquarters in London on Tuesday to hear about their work supporting people affected by war in the Middle East.
"I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible," he said. "There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It’s critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released."
Next week, William is due to visit a synagogue where he will hear from young people who are involved in tackling hatred and antisemitism. Last year was the worst on record for cases of antisemitism in Britain, according to a Jewish advisory body.
With his father King Charles currently absent from official public duties as he undergoes treatment for cancer, William has been expected to take on more high-profile engagements.
A rare statement
In general, British royals avoid making statements on political issues, but before his father became king, he spoke out on matters close to his heart.
Charles has called the attacks in southern Israel "barbaric acts of terrorism". He has also made a plea for greater religious tolerance at a time of "international turmoil".
Global calls for an end to the fighting in Gaza have mounted in recent weeks, as Israel prepares to expand its ground assault in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million of the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza have sought shelter.
More than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to local health authorities, since Israel launched an assault on the enclave following an attack by Hamas which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized 253 hostages.