After unequivocally condemning the massacre of Israeli citizens by Hamas on October 7, King Charles on Thursday met with representatives of charitable organizations operating in the Middle East - including in Gaza - to discuss the humanitarian crisis acutely. "The king was updated in the palace by aid agencies about the growing crisis in Gaza," the palace's official Instagram page said.
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Representatives of the British Red Cross and the British International Emergency Fund were present at the meeting. King Charles, the president of the Red Cross in Great Britain, discussed the "serious humanitarian crisis," and the organization said that the king "made a very generous contribution" to the cause. “We are immensely grateful to HM King Charles for his generous donation to our Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory appeal,” the charity wrote on social media.
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King Charles met with British humanitarian aid agencies
(Photo: Yui Mok - WPA Pool/GettyImages)
It was also reported that the aid agencies are calling for an immediate cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in order to protect the humanitarian workers and ensure full access for aid. In contrast to the aid organizations led by Charles, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasized the need for a temporary cease-fire to help bring about the release of the British Israeli hostages who had been kidnapped to Gaza.
Buckingham Palace refused to comment on whether the king discussed the plight of the hostages and the attempts to free them.
The British Red Cross described the situation in Gaza as an "unprecedented humanitarian crisis" and even emphasized that the most serious shortages are in water and food.
During the last week dozens of trucks loaded with humanitarian supplies entered the southern Gaza Strip. In response to the United Nations Relief Agency's demand for fuel supply, the IDF replied that "Hamas should return the fuel they stole."
On the fifth day of the war, Buckingham Palace addressed the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, saying that "the King is very concerned about the situation and his thoughts and prayers are with the victims - especially those who lost their loved ones." Later, Prince William and his wife Kate also joined in expressing their condolences, and a few hours later Prince Harry and his wife, Duchess Meghan Markle, addressed the terrorist attack in Israel and in an official statement on their behalf they said: " We stand firmly against all acts of terrorism and cruelty and that they stand in solidarity with their partners and organizations on the front lines in Israel, providing vital, immediate assistance and aiding all innocent victims who are enduring an intolerable level of human suffering."