He gave an audience at Buckingham Palace today/yesterday to hear from five representatives operating in the 141 square mile Gaza Strip, where 2 million people are at risk and more than 7,000 have been killed in Israeli attacks following the October 7 Hamas raids on the Jewish state that left 1,400 dead.
With aid agencies warning that the humanitarian crisis is getting worse by the hour, the 74-year-old monarch is expected to use diplomacy to try to raise concerns at the highest level about innocent civilians caught up in the violence.
Acting on the advice of the British Government, he has also held discussions with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Britain’s Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis in an effort to express his condolences to the grieving and to help all sides find a path to peace. He has also condemned the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.
His audience at Buckingham Palace with charities including the British Red Cross, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Unicef, and Christian Aid followed a similar meeting with the Crown Prince of Kuwait on Wednesday at which the crisis was discussed.
Palace officials said the King, who is president of the British Red Cross, had hosted the meeting “to discuss the acute humanitarian situation”.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has helped in the release of some Israeli hostages as part of its recognised neutral intermediary role.
The charity representatives who met the King were: Rory Moylan, Head of Region for the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, British Red Cross; Shireen Jayyusi, Vice Chair, Board of Trustees, Medical Aid for Palestinians; Melanie Ward, CEO, Medical Aid for Palestinians; Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive, Unicef UK; and Patrick Watt, CEO Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Christian Aid.
King Charles, who has asked to be kept informed of all developments in the crisis, has stressed the need for tolerance and understanding in Britain and in the Middle East.
He called for tolerance in an historic speech to the City of London at a Mansion House dinner on October 18 to mark his first visit as monarch to the Square Mile in his Coronation year.
His appeal for respect and understanding of others came after an upsurge in antisemitism, rival protests on our streets over the Israel-Palestine conflict, and a warning from MI5 that war in the Jewish state and Gaza risks exporting violence to the UK.
In his speech, he said: “One of my first acts as sovereign, a little over a year ago, was to open the doors of Buckingham Palace to the leaders of the major faiths represented across these islands; to welcome them, with respect and indeed love, and to re-dedicate my life to protecting the space for faith itself within our shores.
“Such understanding, both at home and overseas, is never more vital than at times of international turmoil and heartbreaking loss of life.”
The British Red Cross said the King had made a “generous donation” to its fundraising appeal.
“We are immensely grateful to His Majesty The King, who has generously donated to our Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory appeal. Donations made to the appeal help the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), Magen David Adom (MDA) and the ICRC to respond to urgent humanitarian needs.”
Aid agencies are calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, and ensure safe and sustained access to aid.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stressed the need for temporary breaks in the bombings to allow Israeli hostages and British nationals to be freed.
The British Red Cross has described the situation in Gaza as an “unprecedented humanitarian crisis” with vital resources unable to get through.
It said the most pressing issue was the lack of food and water, and that recent aid convoys were just “a drop in the ocean”.
