We are Gaza Sunbirds! A group of paracyclists straight from the Gaza Strip. We’re working hard to overcome physical, political and social barriers in order to represent Palestine on the world stage. Follow our page and stay tuned to support us in getting there!
This is our co-founder Karim Ali, speaking about our team’s experience on the ground. We’re a group of paracyclists straight from the Gaza Strip, and we’re currently working on delivering aid to our community. You can follow us and support our work on here and on Instagram at
While the bombs rain down on Gaza, life continues to flourish in it. Our teammate Hazem Suleiman has just welcomed two babies to the world. Here, he films the team captain Alaa, feeding the little Raad ❤️
🚨 This might be our last message to you.
Raffah, what was the only "safe" place in Gaza, is now an active target.
We are under unprecedented bombardment in one of the most densely populated areas on earth.
This was our first training together in 6 months and it felt like we were flying! We were able to cherish our time together despite the noise from the war planes.
Our team is full of unbreakable spirits and we are reminded of how proud we are to represent Palestine✊🏼🇵🇸❤️
According to Save The Children, more than 10 children a day lose one or both of their legs due to the occupation’s aggression. This hurts us personally.
When we survive this war, we want to get every amputated child in Gaza on a bike. We hope we live for long enough to make
“We will keep going even if they destroy every road”
As Akram wisely told us recently: if you don’t make it to a point where you practice the things you’re good at, you will begin to forget who you are.
That’s why alongside missions, we are committed to training every week.
WE ARE HEADED TO THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE! 🚴♂️ 🌍
On Friday, 3 of our teammates evacuated Gaza in view of competing in the Paralympics in 2024. The Sunbirds will be the first paracyclists in history to represent Palestine 🇵🇸
To support us on this journey:
✊🏽 Donate to our
Our athletes start and end their day with the search for water under the sounds of war planes. Surviving is a full time job in Gaza, there is no space for anything else.
“This is American weaponry”
Last week, our teammate Hazem’s house was destroyed. This shrapnel is what can be found amongst the remains.
Every one of our teammates has now been forcibly displaced.
“I know exactly how many knees I’ve hit”
As a team of amputees, this really strikes a chord with us. How horrifying is it, to live at the mercy of another?
Our knees, our arms, our legs, our hands, and all our limbs, are reduced to numbers, targets, and achievements.
While it
Do you see how far the tents stretch?? There’s more than 1.3 million people in Rafah now, almost 6x the normal population!! We can’t even find a space for tents. And they’re still closing in??
We need to stop this genocide now. There is no where left to go!
#gaza
#genocide
Our children either have to play in overcrowded streets or in airstrikes induced craters. In 90 days, Israel has dropped 65,000 tons of explosives on Gaza, over one and a half times more than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombs combined.
On January 6, 50 cities around the world will be riding for Gaza and in solidarity with the Gaza Sunbirds. Get in touch with us to organise a ride in your own city!
Watch till the end for a list of locations in which rides are already taking place 👇🏽
Rafah is under attack. A majority of our team members and their families remain in Gaza with nowhere to go.
Hazem was one of our last team members whose house remained standing. Until the occupation attacked the area in the night. Thankfully, Hazem and his family survived.
"If men believe that they'll outlive an empire, they will."
- Ibrahim Nasrallah (A Time of White Horses)
it is day 2 of our flour distribution mission and our teammates are out, singing, riding & smiling as always against all odds
your generous contributions go a long way!
We continue to derive so much strength from the steadfastness of Hazem who, against all odds, is still able foster hope in the most dire of conditions.
It’s been 75 days. 75 days of destruction, sorrow, and loss but our athletes remain steadfast. They smile, they laugh, they show up for one another. Their spirits can’t be broken.
#EndTheGenocide
WE MADE IT TO BELGIUM!
after many failed attempts of getting a visa to compete internationally, our team's journey has finally begun!
of aid missions & the Paralympics, our efforts are made possible by your continued support!
After countless wars on Gaza, years of visa refusals, and leg amputations, our flag has finally been raised on the world stage!! 🇵🇸
Such a privilege to take part in the paracycling World Cup in Belgium. Thank you for your support in helping us accomplish this dream ❤️
This is the buzzing sound we have to live with everywhere in Gaza, including Rafah, which the occupation has targeted a lot in recent days.
If you’ve lost count, we’re entering our 6th month under these conditions.
We are more than 150 days into this genocide.
We never thought we’d be entering Ramadan in these conditions.
Ceasefire now
#gaza
#ceasefirenow
#palestine
We did it! 4 years of hard work, all on one leg, and under siege.
Its been a tough journey, but we are proud to have represented Palestine for the first time in history at the cycling world cup! We thank you for your continued support and your faith in us.
To more races 🚀
You know Abu Asfour as our teammate who fled his home on a bike after targeting by the occupation. Weeks later he returned to the ruins to inspect the damage and share a message with the world ✊🏼
cycling under siege & genocide means cycling thru destruction, along border walls, food packages hanging from handlebars yet the feeling of cycling in Gaza is incomparable
still in disbelief how far we've made it on our journey to the Paralympics, thank you for your solidarity
It’s been incredibly difficult watching from afar as Rafah is attacked. Our land, team, friends & family members remain under constant threat.
Despite this, we keep pushing, and with Italy around the corner, we’re cracking up the intensity.
Petition in bio 🇵🇸❤️🇮🇹
Last week, we completed another aid mission where we distributed 350 packages of vegetables to those who are displaced in
#Gaza
. Despite everything against us and the 157 days of genocide, we will continue to show up and provide for our community ✊🏼
Part 2 coming soon ❤️
"As you prepare your breakfast, think of others
(do not forget the pigeon’s food)"
- Mahmoud Darwish
part 3 of our aid mission: come with us as we deliver the remaining flour to our teammates in refugee camps. an unexpected bonus: treated to food straight out of the oven!
As you know, flour in
#Gaza
is hard to come by and many have had to use animal feed to make bread. But thanks to your support and donations, we were able to deliver 3750kgs of flour to our community!
You can continue to support our aid efforts through the link in our bio 🇵🇸
@QaysSediqi
We are the Gaza Sunbirds and this is our Co-Founder Karim Ali speaking about our work in Gaza ❤️ we’re working distributing aid on one leg to our communities on our bikes while sharing the atrocities with the world. Please follow us to support our work 🙏🏽 thank you for the
Today I noticed I lost my leg…
Our team mate Noor Ibrahim recounts the horrors of losing his entire uncles house. Piles of limbs in hospitals.
Yes they were civilians. Yes there were children. No they were not human shields.
When will this genocide stop?
we met this little boy a while ago. he was mourning his friend Shadi who he used to play football with every day
this is the state of Gaza now. if children aren't stuck under the rubble, they are mourning their friends who are
how much longer will this nightmare go on?
🚨 Israeli airstrikes are targeting homes in the Salam neighborhood in
#Rafah
, near the Egyptian borders.
We are dragging martyrs out of the rubble in the middle of the night. The head of one victim was cut in half.
This is not just a body, this was a person.
We spent the afternoon cleaning and servicing our bikes. Hazem was on cleaning duty with Alaa, our team captain and apparently mechanic given how seamlessly he reassembled the bikes 🚲
Children in Gaza have been exposed to unimaginable trauma since the beginning of this genocide. This is why this week, we decided to spread some joy among kids our community and surprise them with lots of toys and fun games. Watch all the love we were met with 👇🏼💛
#gaza
our team is getting closer to the Paralympics!
awaiting visa approval to enter Belgium & Italy for the Paracycling World Cup races, we would love to gain your support!
for more info click the link below to check out & sign our petition
#LetThemRide
Thanks to the team
@HUCKmagazine
for launching a holiday appeal for our mutual aid efforts! 100% of all funds go to Gaza where our amazing para-cycling team has distributed 45 tons of food and essentials on one leg in under 2 months ✊🏽sending love ❤️🇵🇸
Huck’s Festive Appeal supports
@gazasunbirds
.
In the most difficult of circumstances imaginable, this para-cycling team is distributing food and humanitarian aid to support their community on the ground in Gaza.
Find out more and donate here:
Last week, we decided to surprise our local camp at Suhoor, just before sunrise. We came with 140 dietary parcels and brought our Msaharati for a fun performance 💛
We will always place our community and its wellbeing at the heart of everything we do 🇵🇸
7 months in and 40,000+ deaths later, we are still witnessing massacre after massacre happening
constant bombardment in Rafah and across Gaza
nowhere is safe
Part 1 of this weeks aid mission: Our team is cooking up hot meals and distributing them to as many people as possible!
Our team in Gaza is not backing down! We draw strength from each other and are excited for our evacuated team members to compete internationally💪🏽❤️ 🇵🇸
it is a night of firsts for one of our teammates, Abu Asfour!
his first time training with co-founder Karim Ali and his first time ever to be training outside of Gaza, where the longest stretch of road to cycle on is only 33km long
to brighter days ahead
#LetThemRide
Ramadan mubarak!
This Ramadan, we remember all those living in Gaza and all those we’ve lost.
And as a time of community, we honour all who have come together for Gaza and Palestine before and since October.
In our thousands, in our millions
رمضان مبارك 🌙❤️
#Ramadan
Pt 2 in partnership with Sharek:
This was a joyful aid mission! We cooked & delivered hot meals to both our community and those injured in hospitals.
Stay tuned for Pt 3 where we spread some hope to those who have recently undergone amputation as a result of recent bombing.
In Gaza, we welcomed the end of ramadan over the rubble of our destroyed homes. For a lot of us, this is the first Eid without many of our loves ones. But today, in our mourning, we still prayed and celebrated as a community.
Eid mubarak from our big family to yours 💛
“Evacuate from blocks 64, 65, 87, 112” These are the messages we receive on a daily basis. They instruct us to shelter here but the reality is, nowhere is safe. This is a game to them.
On day 81, 21 of our teammates have lost their homes to bombing. It is only a matter of time
Breaking news from Al Naser Hospital: Our athlete reports heavy shelling by the occupation towards the hospital just eight days after they bombed it, killing 13 year old amputee Dunia Abu Muhsen. What’s coming for us?
We refused to allow the injuries sustained as a result of the occupation define us. This determination brought the sunbirds to life.
Then, when this genocide began, we channeled all of our resources and efforts into providing aid for our community.
But what do we do 5 months
The past 94 days have been harrowing.
But, however this ends, it is a beautiful thing to see this level of solidarity on the streets.
Over the weekend, cyclists around the world and in more than 50 cities took to the streets and biked in solidarity with Palestine and the Gaza
Standing strong with Gaza! Hazem Suleiman, our dedicated athlete, risks everything to show the world the harsh realities people in Gaza face. One-legged and fearless, he captures the truth of the warzone.
#CeaseFireNow
#EndTheGenocide
#GazaUnderAttack
Hazem reports close to Gaza city:
“The highest level of pain and confinement lies here in this place. Where Palestinian citizens leave their homes, leaving their dreams behind, to escape extermination and famine in Gaza city.“
when will this horror end?
Our co-founders Alaa and Karim meeting for the first time since founding the Gaza Sunbirds in 2020✊🏽❤️
He joined them in Cairo, where they will be training and preparing for the upcoming qualifying races in Belgium and Italy 🚲
#LetThemRide
#paralympics
#paris
#cairo
#gaza
Today marks the 6th month of the war on Gaza. A relentless war on people, children, and any living being in Gaza.
Whoever you are, wherever you are, rise up to demand an end to this.
with Ramadan behind us it seems the UN Security Council's call for a ceasefire amounts to nothing
we believe in the power of critical mass to keep pushing for Palestine to be free
our next Great Ride of Return is on 13 & 27 April, come ride with us!
Rafah, where most of us live, is constantly under attack
Hazem's home was struck by an airstrike, thankfully he and his family survived
while 3 team members were evacuated to compete abroad, their families & the rest of our team remain in Gaza
the time to mobilise is now
We had a preparatory meeting yesterday about a very exciting programme we’re about to launch 💛
This project, in partnership with
@SharekF
, is meant to empower our amputated youth & show them that life doesn’t end with their disability.
Stay tuned for further announcements🦿
Our training sessions are marked more and more by wreckage and sand.
The destruction in Khan Younis is so immense that we couldn’t even recognise the streets.
Get to know our competing team members better🚴🏽♂️
Fun fact: he is always late to everything, everywhere! We'll put up with you, Alaa, but we sincerely hope you're not late to the finish line too 😉🏁
You asked and we've delivered! Whose profile would you like to see next?
every time we go out, we do it not knowing if we’ll make it back
not only are our people being starved, sites for aid have also become unsafe to receive them
we urgently need a permanent
#ceasefirenow
the bicycle is a machine which all of us at Gaza Sunbirds rely on for our aid missions, and is of course, at the heart of what we yearn to do most; to train & participate in the Paralympics
Pt 2 of our weekly aid missions 🚀
We've put more effort into documenting the positive outcomes of our aid missions, made possible thanks to your donations! Follow us as we deliver 350 packages of vegetable by foot.
You can continue to support us through the link in our bio❤️
the occupation has been targeting residential buildings these past few nights. many families martyred, among those killed were as young as 4 months old, the aftermath of Rafah has obliterated many lives and homes
the threat of an invasion is horrifying
when will this end?
We're proud to be part of a team that works tirelessly to distribute aid in
#Gaza
. Check out our latest feature highlighting these efforts- all done on one leg! 💪
Truly a beautiful moment in history to see Palestine on the
@UCI_paracycling
competing list ❤️🇵🇸
Todays time trial race update:
Asfour: finished 26th in 20:03 mins for 9.85km
Alaa: finished 28th in 22:03 mins for 9.85km
Waheed: finished 37th in 40:53 mins for 19.7km
Breaking 🚨
The occupation has targeted at least 5 residential areas throughout Rafah. We have yet again, lost family members and lifelong friends. This is inhumane.
Tens of thousands of innocent children have lost their lives and many more deprived of a childhood in the wake of this genocide, yet our children teach us so much about life, love, and resilience.
It is Eid and 6 months into this relentless siege, how much longer must our men,
as a team who have been delivering flour to various camps the recent Flour Bag Massacre is horrifying. our people across Gaza are starving, this must end now
we need a permanent
#ceasefirenow
& for aid to reach our people without these acts of violence
Gaza city | The Flour Bag Massacre
Locals report of 40 Palestinians killed after Israeli military fired on a gathering of starving Palestinians waiting for aid trucks near Nabulsi junction on the coastal road.
Tens of others are injured
Join us for our Great Ride of Return on Saturday 30 March!
Tomorrow, we cycle on Land Day in solidarity with Gaza, our teammates, and our co-founder Alaa who lost his leg 6 years ago today while attending the Great March of Return.
In Gaza, the school year stopped on October 7. Instead of going to school, our children now spend their time at dumpsters, searching for cardboard to fuel fire with. We need a ceasefire now!
#CeasefireNOW
#Gaza
#palestine
#GenocideinGaza
the attack on
@WCKitchen
is a consistent message that not only aid workers, but any source of humanitarian aid are open targets of the occupying force
from the killing of healthcare staff to flour massacres, providing aid has always shown to be a potentially fatal endeavour
our first training together as a team under clear skies was the most freeing experiences we've had in awhile!
we've been fighting for this, to represent Palestine on the world stage, sign our
#LetThemRide
petition and help bring us to the Paralympics
While the world counts down to the new year, we countdown to a moment when the skies may finally fall silent, and warplanes will no longer hover over our heads. Our teammate films the unbearable and buzzing sound of the planes that haven’t stopped for 85 days.
On 25 April, a team of cyclists will set off from Milan on their 671 km cycle route to Rome, aiming to raise funds for Gaza Sunbirds on the way.
Special thanks to Audrey Anpi and ASD Ring of Life, the amazing network of supporting organisations, and all the participating
with Alaa and Abu Asfour currently training in Egypt, Hazem and the rest of our team members are still busy delivering aid and supplies in Gaza
scenes from our first aid mission include our team members weighing, packing and delivering vegetables to a local camp
it is frightening that a third attempt calling for a ceasefire proposed by Algeria at the UN Security Council was vetoed. with increasing hostilities on the ground alongside shortage of food & aid reaching our people across Gaza, when will this horror end?
#Gaza
: a rapid surge in
#malnutrition
is putting children's lives at risk💔
The latest report confirms Gaza's slide into hunger is happening at an unprecedented pace - especially in the North.
WFP is helping, but safe access to all areas where people need us remains a challenge
First solidarity ride in Turkey 🇵🇸❤️
The movement is growing and we will continue to push for it to grow until we reach people from every city in the world 🚴
Be part of this effort and register your city for the next cycle of rides 🚀
Gazze'nin ampute bisiklet grubu
@gazasunbirds
'ün küresel sürüş çağrısı Türkiye'de de karşılık buldu.
Don Kişot Bisiklet Kolektifi'nin (
@donkisotcycling
) organizatörlüğünde Bostancı'da buluşan bisikletliler Yoğurtçu Parkı'na kadar Filistin için pedalladı.
📹
@gencliberal_
Our riders in Pakistan kicking off this week’s solidarity rides ahead of the 20th 🇵🇸 ❤️🇵🇰
🚲 Check if a ride is happening in your city or register your own ride at
See you on the streets,
Love and solidarity 💛
"Here we are in Gaza, you've slaughtered us, you've amputated our limbs, but you haven't taken our determination or our dreams."
- Alaa al-Dali
3 years ago
@AJEnglish
documented our origins in Cycling Under Siege in Gaza
so much has changed since then
It’s the 130th day of this brutal siege, and with the recent massacres occurring in Rafah, the situation is getting more and more dire. Shelter & safety have never been harder to access, but our mission to care and support our people continues.
And of course, London ✊🏽 All in all a fantastic turnout for our Great ride of return across the UK and the globe today 🇵🇸
Love and solidarity to all our riders 💛
Tomorrow, January 20, is Big Ride for Gaza day! Are you joining us?
🚲 Check if your city is riding at
🌍 Our last big ride was a major success, we had 65 rides around the world organised by both cycling groups and individual riders
🔜 Our next big
6 months into this endless and horrific siege, from afar we watch a C-17 fly over parts of our city dropping aid which has also resulted in casualties & massacres
we’ve now reached a state in which even aid is weaponised
#ceasefirenow
Amidst the terror and war planes, our team, in collaboration with Sharek and all the brave people on the ground, were able to up a new refugee camp to house Gazans who have been displaced once again.
We will rebuild. We will be back.✊🏽
#gazasunbirds
#palestine
#ceasefirenow