Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has called Gaza an “open-air prison” after visiting Egypt’s Rafah border crossing, saying he witnessed aid trucks waiting to cross the border and essential relief items being turned away when wanting to go into Palestinian territory.
Hamilton shared this on his account on 11 November, following a visit to North Sinai the previous day, where he toured the Rafah border area and Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) facilities responsible for coordinating humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the British driver described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide and criticised the restrictions preventing humanitarian supplies from reaching Palestinians.
“The past three years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza is appalling. It’s an injustice for people to be denied their freedom, their safety and their dignity. No human being should be treated as though their life matters less,” Hamilton wrote.
He said the scale of the restrictions became particularly apparent when he saw food trucks waiting to enter the territory.
According to Hamilton, the vehicles were frequently prevented from entering or faced lengthy delays, with one driver telling him he had already been waiting for more than 12 hours.
He also described seeing walls stretching for miles around Gaza, which he said were built to keep Palestinians inside.
“Standing there, outside what felt like an open-air prison, all I could think about was getting in to help,” he wrote.
At an Egyptian Red Crescent logistics facility, Hamilton said he witnessed workers preparing humanitarian supplies while also seeing essential items rejected. These included sleeping bags, first-aid kits, medical equipment, wheelchairs and footballs intended for children.
“Israel needs to fulfil its obligations under the ceasefire and let the aid trucks in. No excuse,” he added.
Hamilton’s visit comes as humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate, with heavy rainfall and flooding adding to the difficulties faced by displaced families living in makeshift shelters.
According to the Associated Press, humanitarian deliveries into Gaza have remained significantly below the minimum of 600 trucks per day stipulated under the ceasefire agreement.
The United Nations has also warned about the consequences of delays in delivering essential supplies, particularly as displaced Palestinians face worsening winter conditions.
Israeli Strike Hits Gaza Hospital
Hamilton’s remarks came as Gaza’s healthcare system continues to face attacks and severe shortages, with an Israeli airstrike hitting Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis early Thursday, 12 November.
The strike killed at least six Palestinians, including a surgeon, and wounded around 20 others, according to Gaza’s Civil Defence, as reported by Reuters.
The attack struck the hospital’s surgery department, causing extensive damage to the building, with images from inside showing debris, damaged ceilings and furniture scattered across hospital rooms.
The surgeon killed in the strike was identified by medical staff as Rezik Abushira.
The Israeli military later said it had targeted a senior Hamas commander and other members of the group’s military wing, claiming they were operating from within the hospital complex.
The Associated Press reported that the Israeli military offered no evidence for its claims that Hamas was using the facility as a headquarters.
The attack took place despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that came into effect in October 2025. Gaza health authorities have reported that more than 1,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the agreement.
Egypt’s humanitarian operations
During his visit, Hamilton was accompanied by North Sinai Governor Khaled Megawer and toured the Rafah crossing before visiting Egyptian Red Crescent warehouses in El-Arish.
The visit provided an opportunity to learn about the organisation’s work in receiving, sorting, preparing and coordinating relief shipments before they are dispatched towards Gaza.
The Egyptian Red Crescent’s latest reported convoy was its 308th, carrying more than 2,581 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, including tents for families displaced by recent winter storms.
The organisation has said Egypt has delivered more than one million tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Gaza since October 2023.
Visit to Palestinian children in Cairo
Hamilton’s visit to Egypt also included a stop at an educational centre operated by the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance (INARA) in Cairo on Wednesday.
There, he met Palestinian children who had been evacuated from Gaza and were receiving educational support after their schooling was disrupted by the war and displacement.
INARA works with children and families affected by conflict, providing medical assistance, rehabilitation and psychosocial support alongside other humanitarian programmes.
Hamilton, who currently races for Ferrari, established Mission 44 in 2021 to improve access to education and employment opportunities for young people from underrepresented communities.
Following his visits, Hamilton urged people not to become desensitised to the suffering in Gaza, saying he did not want the international community to look away from what Palestinians continue to experience.
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