On Wednesday, the royal family condemned the weekend’s Hamas attacks on Israel in a series of messages. First, a spokesperson for King Charles III said he was “appalled by and condemns the barbaric acts of terrorism in Israel,” and expressed the king’s ongoing dismay.
“This is a situation his majesty is extremely concerned about, and he has asked to be kept actively updated,” the spokesperson said, per Reuters. “His thoughts and prayers are with all of those suffering, particularly those who have lost loved ones, but also those actively involved as we speak.”
Also on Wednesday, Kate Middleton and Prince William issued their own strongly worded statement, which expressed hopes for a better future in the region. “The Prince and Princess of Wales are profoundly distressed by the devastating events that have unfolded in the past days,” a spokesperson for the couple said in a statement posted on X. “The horrors inflicted by Hamas’s terrorist attack upon Israel are appalling; they utterly condemn them. As Israel exercises its right of self defense, all Israelis and Palestinians will continue to be stalked by grief, fear and anger in the time to come.”
The statement also referenced William’s June 2018 trip to the region, which saw him visit Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories, becoming the first member of the British royal family to travel to a Palestinian territory on official business. “Their Royal Highnesses hold all the victims, their families and their friends in their hearts and minds. Those The Prince of Wales met in 2018 overwhelmingly shared a common hope—that of a better future,” it read. “In the midst of such terrible suffering, The Prince and Princess continue to share that hope without reservation.”
During William’s trip to the West Bank, he met with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, where they discussed Britain’s history of aiding and cooperating with the occupied territory. “I’m very glad that our two countries work so closely together and have had success stories with education and relief work in the past, so long may that continue,” William said, according to the BBC. “My sentiment’s the same as [Abbas’s] in hoping that there’s a lasting peace in the region.”
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