Gaza: Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton visits border crossing in Egypt

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton arrived at the border crossing from Egypt to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. In Rafah, he visited organizations that send humanitarian aid to the war-torn Gaza Strip.

Hamilton has spoken out several times in the past about humanitarian crises and conflict areas in the region and called for peace. For example, he shared reports on social media about children killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip and called for a ceasefire. He also took a position on other conflicts. “We must work for the liberation of the Congo, Sudan, Syria and Palestine,” Hamilton said last month.

There has been a ceasefire in Gaza for over a year. However, Israel continues to attack targets in Gaza almost daily. Israeli forces now control at least 60 percent of the area, an independent commission of UN experts said last month. The humanitarian situation is catastrophic. Actually, at least 600 trucks are supposed to deliver aid every day. Instead, only 100 trucks reach their destination every day.

Hamilton is the first black racing driver in Formula 1. He regularly campaigns against racism and for equality, environmental protection and diversity in motorsport. He runs a foundation that advocates for better educational opportunities for young people.

The literary scholar Michael Sawyer has written a biography about the black racing driver Lewis Hamilton. In the interview he describes why Hamilton's achievements go far beyond motorsport.