Prince William has said that “too many have been killed” in the Israel-Hamas war, as he called for the fighting to end “as soon as possible”.

In a rare statement on the crisis, the Prince of Wales said he clings “to the hope that a brighter future can be found and I refuse to give up on that”.

“I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October,” he said.

“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.

“Sometimes it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home.

“Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to the counsel of despair.”

The statement has been issued after it emerged Prince William is set to carry out a series of engagements to highlight the plight of all those affected by the ongoing conflict.

In the coming days he will meet with charities in the UK that are providing humanitarian support in the region and will hear about the conditions faced by those working on the ground.

He will also join a conversation at a synagogue with young people from a wide range of communities to acknowledge the rise in antisemitism around the world.

In October last year Prince William made what was seen as an unexpected intervention when Kensington Palace released a statement expressing his and the Princess of Wales’s profound distress at the devastating events unfolding in the region.

It is rare for members of the Royal Family to make public comments on such contentious matters.

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Sky News has been told that Prince William has been following events closely and his concern about the human impact, especially on young people on both sides, has compelled him to want to do more within the diplomatic limits of his position.

In a press release announcing two visits by the heir to the throne, Kensington Palace said: “The Prince and Princess were profoundly concerned by events that unfolded in late 2023 and continue to hold all the victims, their family and friends in their hearts and minds.”

Their statement in October acknowledged the horrors experienced by innocent families on both sides, with their spokesperson saying: “The Prince and Princess of Wales are profoundly distressed by the devastating events that have unfolded in the past days.”

The spokesperson added: “The horrors inflicted by Hamas’s terrorist attack upon Israel are appalling; they utterly condemn them.

“As Israel exercises its right of self-defence, all Israelis and Palestinians will continue to be stalked by grief, fear and anger in the time to come. Their Royal Highnesses hold all the victims, their families and their friends in their hearts and minds.”

In a separate statement, the King’s spokesperson said he was “appalled” by the “barbaric acts of terrorism” in Israel, adding the monarch was “extremely concerned” and his “thoughts and prayers are with all of those suffering”.

In June 2018, Prince William became the first member of the Royal Family to visit Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories.

It continues to be seen as one of his most sensitive and challenging diplomatic trips to date and clearly had a lasting impact on him.

During the four-day trip, he expressed his own hopes for “lasting peace” in the region.