F1 champion Lewis Hamilton visits Gaza border

Lewis Hamilton visits Rafah crossing to witness Gaza aid efforts

Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has visited Egypt’s northern El Arish city that borders Gaza to see first-hand efforts to acquire humanitarian aid bound for the Gaza Strip.

North Sinai Governor Khaled Megawer welcomed the British driver on Tuesday and showcased the Egyptian Red Crescent’s aid warehouses.

The governor’s office shared videos on its official Facebook page featuring clips of the visit as Megawer briefed the F1 champion on how relief aid is coordinated.

Hamilton is seen greeting aid workers and inquiring how often they are able to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing.

Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) said repeated delays in bringing life-saving medicines, prosthetics and other supplies into Gaza can have “devastating consequences” for Palestinians who urgently need them.

The 41-year-old driver is known to be an advocate for humanitarian and charitable causes.

In 2021, he founded Mission 44, a charity organisation tasked with supporting young people’s access to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

In 2022, Hamilton was ranked number five on the Sunday Times Giving List, an annual ranking published by the British newspaper, where he was said to have recently donated 20 million British pounds (about $26m) at the time.

The visit comes after heavy rain and harsh floods overwhelmed Gaza this week, killing at least five people, including four children. Floods have displaced thousands in the process and caused sand embankments to collapse on a displacement camp south of Deir el-Balah.

Gaza’s Civil Defence logged more than 2,100 distress calls by Monday and warned that more than 2,000 buildings are at risk of collapsing.

Israeli strikes have subsequently persisted across the enclave, with at least eight people killed in air attacks on Tuesday, including a father and his 13-year-old son in the Gaza Strip, according to local health sources.

Recent cuts to aid and food assistance have caused the situation to continually worsen as people in Gaza grapple for resources.