Prince William Makes Private Visit to Children from Gaza Receiving Care at U.K. Hospitals: He ‘Was Moved by the Courage Shown’

Prince William was moved by a recent visit he had with children from Gaza who are being treated in the United Kingdom amid the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“The Prince wished to offer a moment of comfort to these young people who have endured experiences no child should ever face,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson tells PEOPLE in a statement of William, 43.

The representative adds that the Prince of Wales was “able to offer his heartfelt gratitude” to staff at National Health Service hospitals in the U.K. for “providing exceptional care during such a profoundly difficult time.”

“His Royal Highness was moved by the courage shown by the children and their families and by the dedication of the team who are supporting them with such professionalism and humanity,” the Kensington Palace spokesperson continues.

The children are being cared for as part of a government humanitarian mission, due to the collapse of medical care following the conflict in Gaza. 

Longstanding tensions between Israel and the Palestinian territories came to a head on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas — designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department — launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing hundreds of civilians and taking at least 150 as hostages.

In response, Israel declared war on the Gaza Strip, killing and injuring thousands of Palestinians.

The conflict has continued since, and both have declared numerous temporary ceasefires in the time after the conflict began two years ago.

Prince William has followed the region closely since his travels to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2018, a Kensington Palace spokesperson previously told PEOPLE.

During that visit, William met with then-President Reuven Rivlin and the Palestinian leader President Mahmoud Abbas. He became the first British Royal to make an official visit to Israel.

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William released a rare statement on the conflict in the region in early 2024, ahead of a visit to the headquarters of the British Red Cross in central London. (While he made a previous statement in October 2023, the extent of human suffering led him to make another, a Kensington Palace spokesperson told PEOPLE at the time.)

“I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October,” Prince William said. “Too many have been killed.”

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

William concluded, “Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to the counsel of despair. I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found and I refuse to give up on that.”