“Ceasefire now”: Lewis Hamilton condemns Gaza child deaths amid famine

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton today issued a powerful statement on his Instagram Stories, condemning the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and specifically highlighting the deaths of children due to hunger and malnutrition.

His remarks, made hours before the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, included the emphatic declaration, "We can no longer stay silent," and a direct call for an immediate ceasefire.

Hamilton expressed "total devastation" at the suffering, noting that children are starving and humanitarian aid is severely obstructed.

He challenged global leaders, asserting, "The silence and lack of action from the international community will be judged by future generations".

The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that as of Friday, July 25, 2025, 122 Palestinians, including 83 children, had died from hunger and malnutrition since October 7, 2023.

The conflict has resulted in over 59,600 Palestinian deaths, predominantly women and children, with 470,000 people at risk of starvation due to blockades and attacks on aid centers.

International legal bodies, including the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice, are addressing alleged war crimes and a genocide case related to the conflict.

Hamilton's statement is consistent with his history of activism, which includes advocating for racial justice, environmentalism.

He has previously spoken out on the ‘Israeli’ aggression on Gaza, calling for a cessation of hostilities in May 2024 and expressing the difficulty of compartmentalizing the crisis within the "F1 bubble" in November 2023.

His outspokenness comes despite the FIA's 2022 rules banning "political, religious or personal" statements without prior approval, though clarifications in 2023 allowed drivers to express views in their "own space" like social media.

Hamilton has consistently maintained that "nothing will stop me" from speaking on issues he is passionate about.