Prince William offers support for Epstein's victims as fresh disclosures reveal extent of his crimes

LONDON (AP) — Prince William and Princess Catherine on Monday expressed concern for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, as the British monarchy seeks to distance itself from revelations about the former Prince Andrew’s relationship with the convicted sex offender.

The comments, released by a Kensington Palace spokesperson as William traveled to Saudi Arabia for an official visit, marked the first time Britain’s most popular royals have expressed their views on the scandal since the U.S. Justice Department’s release of more than 3 million pages of documents in late January revealed how Epstein used a web of rich, powerful people to abuse women and girls.

“I can confirm that the Prince and Princess of Wales have been deeply concerned by the continued revelations,’’ the spokesman said. “Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”

The statement is the latest effort by the British monarchy to respond to the escalating crisis surrounding the former Prince Andrew after emails released by the Justice Department show that he carried out an extensive correspondence with Epstein even after the financier was jailed for soliciting prostitution with a minor.

The jeopardy faced by the royal family could be seen Monday when King Charles visited Lancashire, in north west England. While most of the public clapped, cheered and waved flags, one person shouted, “How long have you known about Andrew?” the BBC reported.

The latest released emails appear to show that Andrew sent Epstein reports from a 2010 tour of Southeast Asia that the then-prince took as Britain’s envoy for international trade. Earlier, Andrew appeared to share the itinerary for the two-week trip to Hanoi, Saigon, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong with Epstein.

In October, the king's 65-year-old brother was stripped of his royal titles after previous revelations about his relationship with Epstein. He is now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The king last week forced Mountbatten-Windsor to leave his longtime home at Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle, accelerating a move that was first announced in October but wasn’t expected to be completed until later this year. Anger over Mountbatten-Windsor’s living arrangements had grown amid concern that he was still reaping rewards from his status as a royal even though he is no longer a working member of the royal family.

Mountbatten-Windsor is now living on the king’s Sandringham estate in eastern England. He will live temporarily at Wood Farm Cottage while his permanent home on the estate undergoes repairs. Unlike Royal Lodge, which is owned by the crown and managed for the benefit of taxpayers, Sandringham is owned privately by the king.

Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in his relationship with Epstein.

Charles and Queen Camilla, who has long campaigned against violence against women, haven’t commented directly on the newly released Epstein files, with Buckingham Palace instead referring the media to a statement the royal couple made last year as the scandal began to accelerate.

“Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse,’’ Buckingham Palace said in a statement released on Oct. 30, when the king announced that Andrew would be stripped of his titles.

FILE - Britain's Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

BEIRUT (AP) — Israelis forces seized a local official with a Sunni Islamist group and an ally of the Palestinian militant Hamas group in an operation in southern Lebanon early on Monday, and took him to Israel for questioning, the Israeli military and Lebanese state media reported.

Also on Monday, an Israeli drone struck a car in the southern Lebanese village of Yanouh, killing three people, including a 3-year-old child, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said, quoting the Health Ministry.

The Israeli military later said it struck Hezbollah artillery official Ahmad Salami. It said it was aware of a “claim that uninvolved civilians were killed” and that the case is under review.

According to the NNA agency, Atwi Atwi — a local official with the Sunni Islamist group al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, or the Islamic Group in English — was taken in the southern village of Hebbarieh, in the region of Hasbaya and close to the border with Israel.

A statement from the Israeli military said Israeli troops apprehended an Islamic Group official in a “targeted intelligence-based operation.” It did not release the official's name.

The Islamic Group condemned the seizure, saying it was part of Israel’s daily attacks and violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty. It called on the Lebanese state to work for the release of Atwi.

The Islamic Group is Lebanon's branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, a pan-Islamist political group, with an armed wing in Lebanon known as Fajr Forces.

After the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, the Fajr Forces joined forces with the Lebanese Shiite militant Hezbollah group, launching rockets across the border into Israel that it said were in support of Hamas in Gaza.

The Brotherhood has been outlawed in much of the Middle East and labeled a terror group. Last month, the Trump administration designated the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian branches of the Brotherhood as terrorist organizations.

Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya's leader, Mohammed Takkoush, said during the 14-month war between Hezbollah and Israel that his group and Hezbollah put aside their differences on conflicts in Syria and Yemen to join forces against Israel.

Hezbollah started attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel, triggering the latest Israel-Hamas war. Israel later launched a widespread bombardment of Lebanon that severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion.

The conflict ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in 2024, and since then, Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes and ground incursions into Lebanon that left more than 100 civilians dead according to the United Nations. Israel says it's carrying out the operations to remove Hezbollah strongholds and threats against Israel.

The Israel-Hezbollah war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians, and caused an estimated $11 billion in damage and destruction, according to the World Bank. In Israel, 127 people died, including 80 soldiers.

People gather as Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam tours areas in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel that the Lebanese army says it has been cleared of the armed presence of the militant Hezbollah group, in the village of Yarine, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)