Motor racing-Hamilton urges Israel to let Gaza aid in after Rafah visit
Nov 11 (Reuters) - Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton said on Wednesday that Israel must allow aid trucks into Gaza, a day after he visited the Rafah border crossing in Egypt. Hamilton, a seven-times world champion, arrived in El Arish on Tuesday, where he was briefed on how aid is prepared and coordinated before it is sent into Gaza, as he toured the Rafah crossing and the Egyptian Red Crescent's aid warehouses. "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," the Ferrari driver wrote on Instagram. Israel strongly denies accusations of genocide and says its military campaign in Gaza targets Hamas militants. Hamilton described seeing food trucks lined up and ready to go at the border that were regularly held up or faced major delays. He said that at a nearby logistics centre, items had been rejected for "crazy reasons", including sleeping bags, first-aid kits, medical equipment, wheelchairs, and footballs for children.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article gives the aid hold-ups only as Hamilton's impression from his visit. Other coverage of the same day reported independent confirmation. The UN said more than 150,000 tents were waiting outside Gaza for Israeli permission to enter, and aid still falls far short of the agreed minimum of 600 trucks a day. Without this, a reader may take the delays as one celebrity's view rather than a documented shortfall.
How we know
- Al Jazeera English reported“More than 150,000 tents bought by humanitarian partners and member states are waiting outside the Gaza Strip for Israeli permission to enter”F1 champion Lewis Hamilton calls on Israel to open Gaza’s Rafah border (opens in a new tab)
- The Guardian reported“continues to fall far short of the agreed-upon minimum of 600 trucks a day”Lewis Hamilton says ‘Israel’s genocide in Gaza is appalling’ after Rafah visit (opens in a new tab)
"Israel needs to fulfil its obligations under the ceasefire and let the aid trucks in. No excuse," he said."I don't want us to get used to their suffering. I don't want us to look away." Hamilton, 41, is an advocate for humanitarian causes. In 2021 he founded Mission 44, a charity that supports young people and works to improve their access to education and employment. He is fourth in the drivers' championship. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli has won the title with three races remaining. (Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Sonali Paul)
Read the original article on al-monitor.com (opens in a new tab)