The Gaza Sunbirds (Gaza)

Gaza’s para-cycling team

The Gaza Sunbirds, a para-cycling team from the Gaza Strip, made history at the 2024 UCI World Championships in Zurich when Alaa al-Dali became the first athlete ever to represent Palestine.

The Original Gaza Sunbird
Alaa was a promising Olympic cyclist when, on 30th March 2018, his life changed forever. While standing with his bike near the Great March of Return demonstrations east of Rafah, an Israeli sniper’s explosive bullet shattered his leg beyond repair.

“The bullet was like a small grenade. It almost disintegrated the bone of my leg. The doctor said he had never seen anything like it. I had to choose between amputation or death. After thinking a lot, I gave my consent to cut the leg. It was a very hard decision.” Alaa al-Dali

After a long recovery, Alaa channelled his determination into founding a cycling team for amputees in Gaza — naming it the Gaza Sunbirds to reflect their dream of flying free beyond the borders that confine them.

Amos Trust has worked with the Sunbirds since their formation in 2020, collaborating with co-founder Karim Ali, and Alaa, to help incubate the project and manage international donations. Before the war began in October 2023, the team had recruited 20 para-athletes and was training regularly, hoping to one day compete internationally.

Aid and solidarity

When war broke out in October 2023, the Sunbirds turned their energy toward survival and service. Despite displacement and loss, they began distributing food and water to families across Gaza — filming their missions to share on Instagram.