When fuel stations ran dry in Gaza city, due to war and the Israeli blockade, most motorists were stranded and the limited public transport system collapsed.
But in the face of growing hardship, thousands of residents found an unexpected hero: the humble bicycle.
Once dismissed as a child’s toy or leisure item, the bicycle has become one of the most essential tools for survival in a city where cars are scarce, fuel is unaffordable and public transport has nearly vanished despite a ceasefire. Across the enclave, Palestinians are turning to two wheels to carry food, transport patients, check on family, escape danger and reclaim a sense of mobility in a place where movement itself has become a daily struggle.
Aged only 18, Somayya Al Sharif has become one of Gaza city's most unlikely symbols of resilience. “People are surprised when they see a girl riding a bicycle. But I feel proud, I feel like I’m challenging society and depending on myself,” she told The National.
With her father disabled and her brother killed in the war, Somayya became the primary provider for her family. She rides her bicycle across Deir Al Balah to buy groceries, deliver supplies and pick up items to resell to displaced children. Her bicycle is not only a means of transport – it is her livelihood.
“I can’t wait for taxis. They’re too expensive and sometimes you wait more than an hour. The bicycle makes everything easier, cheaper and faster.”
Now, she encourages other young women to do the same. “Bicycles have become essential for everyone in Gaza. Girls should ride them without fear. It’s good for your body, good for your wallet and good for your freedom.”
'No cars, no taxis'
For Nafeth Abu Hussein, 24, from the Faluja neighbourhood, the bicycle was not a hobby, it was a lifeline.
When his brother Ibrahim was injured in an Israeli strike last November, he was taken to Al Shifa Hospital, 12 kilometres away. With streets too dangerous for cars and no functioning public transport, Nafeth chose to walk the long road to visit him on his first day in hospital.
“The next day, I took my bicycle,” he told The National. "I had to bring food and supplies to my father and brother. There were no cars, no taxis. The bicycle became the only way to reach them safely."
He rode the same route every day for more than a week, weaving between rubble, shell-damaged streets and areas under fire. What started as a desperate move became a necessity, especially after numerous displacements pushed families farther apart.
Fuel prices rose sharply. Taxis became rare and expensive. Roads deteriorated into cratered tracks that vehicles could barely cross. But bicycles could go anywhere.
“A trip that takes 30 minutes on a bicycle takes an hour in a car now," Nafeth said. "The streets are destroyed. The bike is cheaper, faster and simply the best option.”
'Only thing they can rely on'
Before the war, Mahmoud Sultan, 31, made a modest living buying and selling bicycles in Gaza city. But as the fighting became prolonged, his humble trade was transformed into one of the few growing markets in the area.
“Demand exploded," he told The National. "Everyone came asking for bikes, repairs or spare parts. People relied on bicycles for food, movement, even searching for water during the famine.”
But with an Israeli blockade preventing spare parts from entering the enclave, prices rose sharply.
A bicycle that once cost 500 shekels ($158) now sells for 1,500. the cost of repairs has doubled. People began digging out old bikes from storage, desperate for a means of getting around.
Mahmoud himself was displaced to Nuseirat and now runs a small repair stand in the central district. “People have no transportation, no fuel, no money. A bicycle is the only thing they can rely on. Even a damaged bike is better than depending on taxis that take forever to arrive and cost too much.”
In a Gaza stripped of fuel, mobility and infrastructure, bicycles have become ambulances, delivery vehicles, transport for the elderly and sick, and tools for searching for food and water.
They go where cars cannot, cost nothing to power and can nip around streets littered with rubble and blocked by checkpoints.
As Gaza city faces an uncertain future, its residents pedal forward, not because it is easy, but because it is their only option. In a city where nearly everything has been taken away, the bicycle has become more than a machine – it has become freedom on two wheels.
