Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said on Wednesday that Israel must allow aid trucks to enter Gaza, a day after visiting the Rafah border crossing in Egypt.
Hamilton arrived in El Arish on Tuesday, where he was briefed on how aid is prepared and coordinated before being sent to Gaza. He toured the Rafah crossing and the aid warehouses of the Egyptian Red Crescent, greeting humanitarian workers at the crossing with "Assalamu alaikum", shaking hands and briefly speaking with staff and officials.
"At the Rafah border, I saw trucks loaded with food lined up and ready to go, but they are regularly denied entry or face significant delays. The first driver in the queue I spoke to had already been waiting for more than 12 hours," Hamilton said.
"I saw walls stretching for miles, built to keep them inside. I stood there, outside what looked like an open-air prison, and all I could think about was how to get in and help," he added.
Hamilton also described a visit to a nearby logistics centre, where he witnessed the hard work of humanitarian staff, as well as items being rejected for what he called strange reasons. "Sleeping bags, first aid kits, medical equipment, wheelchairs, even footballs for children," he listed.
"Israel must fulfil its obligations under the ceasefire and let the aid trucks in," Hamilton said.
The ceasefire agreement reached last year halted major combat operations in Gaza, but the volume of aid reaching the area remains significantly below the agreed minimum of 600 trucks per day.
Hamilton wrote on Instagram: "The last three years of Israel's genocide in Gaza have been horrifying. It is unjust that people are denied their freedom, their safety and their dignity. No human being should be treated as if their life is worth less." Israel strongly denies allegations of genocide and claims its military campaign in Gaza targets Hamas militants.
Hamilton, who is 41, has frequently posted on social media about children killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and called for a ceasefire. Last month, he said: "I think we must make sure we advocate for a free Congo, a free Sudan, a free Syria, a free Palestine." He added: "I think there is a lot of peace that I hope we will one day reach."
A proponent of humanitarian causes, Hamilton founded Mission 44 in 2021, a charity that supports young people and works to improve their access to education and employment. "I know many people feel that same helplessness. That same need to do something rather than just watch. There is no excuse. I do not want us to become accustomed to their suffering. I do not want us to look away," he said.
In the drivers' standings, Hamilton is fourth. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli won the title with three races to go. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is held on 21 November, the Qatar Grand Prix on 29 November, and the season concludes with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 6 December.
