Gaza Sunbirds
Para-cycling team based in Gaza, Palestine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gaza Sunbirds are a para-cycling team based in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The team was formed in 2020 by Alaa al-Dali and Karim Ali. The team was established to provide athletic opportunities for disabled athletes in Gaza, many of whom sustained injuries due to Israeli airstrikes or sniper fire.[1]
| Sport | Para cycling |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2020 |
| Location | Gaza Strip, Palestine |
Beyond its role as a competitive sports team, the Gaza Sunbirds have become a symbol of advocacy, using cycling to amplify the voices of disabled athletes and their community.[2]
In October 2023, the team expanded its mission to include humanitarian aid distribution, initially delivering assistance by bicycle to displaced and injured civilians in Gaza.[3] While most of the team remains in Gaza, continuing aid efforts and cycling when possible, two athletes—Alaa al-Dali and Abu Asfour—have been evacuated and are actively competing.[4]
As of May 2025, the Sunbirds have distributed $450,000 in aid throughout Gaza.[5]
History
Alaa al-Dali became a cyclist at a young age. In early 2018, he qualified to compete at that year's Asian Games, but was struggling to obtain a permit from the Israeli government to leave the Gaza Strip. In March 2018, he attended the Great March of Return in his cycling gear.[6][7][8] While at the protest, he was shot in the leg by an Israeli sniper, shattering his bone. His leg ultimately had to be amputated.[9][10][11] While recovering, he met Karim Ali, and over the next year the duo decided to found a para-cycling project. He also adapted a bicycle so he could continue to ride, and began relearning to ride two months after his amputation.[9][12]
In 2020, the two officially founded the Gaza Sunbirds, and had ten members by the end of the year.[12] Ali provides support from London.[13]
The Israeli blockade of Gaza has severely limited access to bicycles, prosthetic limbs, and adaptive equipment.[14] The team modifies standard bicycles for cyclists who have lost legs, but obtaining specialized paracycling gear remains a major challenge.[15] The team’s attempts to compete internationally have also been repeatedly blocked by Israeli exit permit denials.[3][16]
By 2023, the team had 20 members and held five weekly training sessions, including one for teenagers.[4] At one time the group had around 50 members.[15] The group organized fundraising events to pay for equipment and to raise money for other groups.[15] Some of their group rides were along the coastline or Salah al-Din Road,[17] while others were as long as 55 miles, from the Rafah Border Crossing to the Erez Crossing.[18]
The team is featured in a documentary films created by filmmaker Flavia Cappellini.[19][20][21][10]
Gaza war and aid efforts
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Following the onset of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Gaza Sunbirds expanded their mission beyond cycling, raising money from international supporters[22] and utilizing their bicycles to deliver essential aid to displaced civilians.[3][23][13] In collaboration with the Sharek Youth Forum, they established a displacement camp in Deir al-Balah.[3] The war has impacted the team's members, who have faced displacement, poverty, and health issues.[24] Cycling communities worldwide have demonstrated solidarity by organizing rides to raise awareness and support for the Gaza Sunbirds.[1][25][26] The group also started the Athletes for Palestine campaign, to organize support for Palestine among professional athletes.[13][27]
In April 2024, team members Abu Asfour, Alaa al-Dali, and coach Abu Hassan were evacuated to pursue qualification for the 2024 Summer Paralympics.[4] Despite participating in qualifiers in Belgium and Italy, the impact of war and displacement severely disrupted their training, preventing successful qualification.[28]
As of 2025, the Gaza Sunbirds have distributed over $400,000 worth of aid, including: meal parcels, hygiene kits, clothing, infant care products, and bicycles.[23][21]
On 19 May 2025, Gaza Sunbirds member Ahmed al-Dali was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis.[21] He had been mistakenly declared dead in the 2014 Israeli airstrike in which he lost his leg. A cousin of the team's founder, he joined the team in 2022.[29] The Gaza Sunbirds released a statement urging the British government to suspend arm sales to Israel.[30]