Full Breakdown
Gaza’s Bicycle Couriers Keep Pedaling Amid Ruins and Risk
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Couriers Face Punishing Costs and Fatalities
In the Gaza Strip, delivery workers ride bicycles—locally called “baskleet”—through streets littered with rubble and under intermittent bombardment. Barq, a delivery firm founded by Tareq Abu Zekri during the second cease-fire in January 2025, now employs more than 50 couriers across Gaza City, the central Maghazi area, and Khan Younis. Workers such as Mohammed Abu Amra report trips that once took under ten minutes by motorbike now require thirty minutes or more on a bike, while heat, rain and broken roads add physical strain. On 29 August, a strike hit an electric bike in Tel al-Hawa, killing delivery worker Raed Adel Mohammed Alyan and his companion Abdel Fattah Abu Al-Eesh. Despite at least 40-50 bicycle couriers being killed in the war, roughly 400 continue to move packages through damaged streets, according to Hamama’s director Jamil Al-Yazji.
Background & Context
Fuel shortages and the systematic destruction of Gaza’s transport infrastructure have made bicycles the primary delivery method since the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. A pilot scheme in Rafah began in March 2021, but after October 2023 bicycles became standard as vehicles were destroyed and fuel ran out. A joint assessment published in April 2026 by the World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations found that about 74 % of Gaza’s roughly 4,500 km road network is classified as destroyed, with an additional 13 % partially damaged.
Data & Statistics
- Earnings: Abbas Al-Souri estimates daily earnings of 50-60 shekels (€12-€14) per courier.
- Repair costs: A single puncture repair costs 30-40 shekels (€7-€10); comprehensive wheel, hub or pedal repairs range from 200-500 shekels (€48-€120).
- Applications: Barq received 109 rider applications within a day and a half after advertising.
- Workforce: Barq now operates three branches with more than 50 employees.
- Casualties: Hamama reports 40-50 bicycle couriers killed; Barq’s own staff have suffered wounds from strikes in Khan Younis and near Al-Jalaa in Gaza City.
Official Statements & Responses
Jamil Al-Yazji confirmed that Alyan’s death occurred while he was on a delivery run for Hamama and reiterated that, despite the losses, both Hamama and Barq keep hiring workers. Abbas Al-Souri described the makeshift repair culture as “patchwork on top of patchwork,” highlighting how couriers strip components from irreparable bikes to keep others moving.
Why It Matters
Bicycle couriers constitute a critical lifeline for Gaza’s fragmented economy, delivering food, medicine and household goods to households that have lost access to formal markets. The high proportion of earnings consumed by repairs erodes household income, while the persistent threat of strikes underscores the broader humanitarian crisis.
What's Next
Barq’s attempt to introduce electric bicycles stalled because charging costs—about 30 shekels (€7) per charge—represent roughly half a day’s earnings. No further electric-bike pilots are planned until fuel or electricity costs become affordable, and the companies continue to seek reliable spare parts to reduce repair expenses.