Prince William has issued a rare statement expressing his “concern about the human cost” of Israel's offensive in Gaza and calling for an end to the war.. “Sometimes, it is only in the face of the scale of so much human suffering that the importance of permanent peace becomes necessary,” warns the Prince of Wales, who has been impersonating King Charles at official events for two weeks since he was diagnosed with cancer.

William's punctual intervention, in contrast to the political neutrality that Queen Elizabeth II exhibited for decades, has surprised everyone and everyone, as it occurred in the middle of the countdown to the vote on an amendment calling for a “ceasefire” in Gaza on Wednesday in Parliament.

“I am deeply concerned by the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7,” can be read in the statement signed by the heir to the British Crown.. “Too many people have died since then” (the princes of Wales condemned the attack at the time).

“Like so many others, I want to see the end of the conflict as soon as possible,” he continues.. “There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza. “It is absolutely critical that help arrives and that the hostages are freed.”

'Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to despair,' warns Prince of Wales. “I remain hopeful that a brighter future can be found and I refuse to give up on that.”

The statement from Kensington Palace comes two days after the leader of the Labor opposition and aspiring prime minister, Keir Starmer, publicly reversed his position on the conflict and called for “an immediate, humanitarian ceasefire.”

Dozens of Labor MPs had previously expressed their intention to back an amendment from the Scottish National Party (SNP) that will be voted on Wednesday calling for “an immediate ceasefire”. Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed his “deep concern” about Israel's military offensive in Rafah, but has to date been against a ceasefire.