Everything you need to know about Prince William’s historic Palestine visit

In what has been widely celebrated as a historic visit, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, recently made a stop at the occupied West Bank as part of his Middle East tour.

Apart from meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday, the Duke also visited a refugee camp in Ramallah, spoke with local entrepreneurs, took a taste of local cuisine, and watched as Palestinians performed the traditional Dabke dance.

Following his visit, Prince William delivered a speech telling Palestinians that they "have not been forgotten". Here is a round-up of his recent visit:

The trip marks the first official visit to Palestine by a member of the British royal family.

Last Thursday, Prince William also visited the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, becoming the first British royal to ever visit the compound that hosts Islam's third holiest site.

The second-in-line to the British throne toured the Jalazone refugee camp, which is run by the United Nations, and spoke with a group of mothers as well as medical staff, according to the BBC.

He then attended a cultural event at the Ramallah Municipality, where he watched locals perform the Dabke and met with entrepreneurs.

"I saw an unforgettable display of Palestinian culture and hospitality. The Dabke, the singing, and dancing were by turns beautiful, moving and joyful. The cuisine was utterly delicious,” he said in a speech.

During their meeting, Abbas told Prince William he hoped Palestine would be fully independent when he visits next time.

"I hope this will not be the last visit ... that your next visit will be in the State of Palestine when we have our full independence," he said. 

The Palestinian leader reiterated his "full commitment to achieving full and lasting peace based on a two-state solution where the state of Palestine lives side by side with the state of Israel, with both supervising peace and security."

While speaking with Abbas, the Duke referred to Palestine as a country, saying he was "very glad that our two countries work so closely together."

As the UK-based Guardian points out, this is considered uncommon among politicians, as the diplomatic protocol does not consider the Palestinian territories as a country.

"My message tonight is that you have not been forgotten," he said, adding, "I hope that through my being here and understanding the challenges you face, the links of friendship and mutual respect between the Palestinian and British people will grow stronger."

While some locals cheered when he visited the refugee camp, other Palestinians had doubts about the intentions behind the prince's visit. 

"If the trip is for the sake of the Palestinian people, he's welcome," a grocer named Ahmed Ali told The Guardian, explaining that Palestinians are against leaders who serve the interests of Israel.

"We haven't forgotten Britain's old stance, the Balfour Declaration and the division of Palestine," he added.

"It's very important that the visit isn't just because of [interest in] Israel and Jerusalem," Hanna Haj Yehia, a teacher, said.