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Prince William meets Palestinian leader Abbas in West Bank

By Sara Shayanian   |   June 27, 2018 at 1:49 PM
Britain's Prince William and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meet Wednesday in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Photo by Alaa Badarneh/UPI A Palestinian honor guard prepares for the arrival of Prime William, Duke of Cambridge, in the Muquatah in Ramallah, West Bank, on Wednesday. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI Prince William visits young soccer players at the Ramallah Friends School Wednesday. Photo courtesy Kensington Palace/Twitter Prince William meets with students at the At Jalazone Girls’ school in Ramallah on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Kensington Palace/Twitter Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, arrives in the Muquatah in Ramallah, West Bank, on Wednesday. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI Britain's Prince William meets with young Israeli professionals on the rooftop at the Beit Ha'air Museum in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. Pool Photo by Heidi Levine/UPI

June 27 (UPI) -- Prince William became the first royal family member to visit the West Bank Wednesday, where he met with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas as part of his multi-stop tour of the Middle East.

The Duke of Cambridge met Abbas in Ramallah, where the PA head told him Palestinians are committed to achieving peace with the Israelis.

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"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," Prince William said to Abbas Wednesday. "So, long may that continue. My sentiment's the same as yours in hoping there's a lasting peace for the region."

William also visited staff, patients and families involved in a vaccination program at the Jalazone Refugee Camp in Ramallah, visited a girls school and met with young soccer players.

The prince arrived in Tel Aviv Monday after finishing a visit in Jordan. Tuesday, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara.