Gaza Herald – Mahmoud Abu Hatib, an eighteen-year-old resident, pedals a dilapidated bicycle through the ruins of Gaza. He exposes his body without protection to deliver food for his family. The war has turned simple delivery routes into deadly minefields. Fuel prices have skyrocketed, making motorized transport impossible for most.
Jamil Al-Yazji, director of the Hamama delivery service company, stated that approximately 400 workers operate in the sector. Three hundred of them are based in Gaza City alone. Before the war, deliveries relied on motorcycles and cars, completing tasks in minutes. Now, the system depends entirely on scarce bicycles requiring immense physical effort.
Al-Yazji told Saba news agency that spare parts, oils, diesel, and basic equipment are critically short. Prices for these items have reached impossible levels. The company faces exorbitant monthly costs to charge batteries for phones and electric bikes. These expenses consume huge sums while staff work at minimum capacity to maintain services.
Roads are destroyed, making navigation difficult and unpredictable. Each delivery takes hours with uncertain outcomes. Al-Yazji revealed that between forty and fifty employees from his office were killed since the start of the war. Some were targeted inside their homes, while others died while performing duties in the field.
The director recalled the death of employee Raed Al-Alayan two weeks ago. An Israeli missile struck him while he was delivering a meal and collecting payment. The attack killed him instantly. Many other workers have been injured in similar incidents despite efforts to avoid hot zones.
Ismail Al-Thawabta, Director General of the Government Media Office, condemned the deliberate shelling of cyclists. He stated that military aircraft and drones hunt unarmed young men with guided missiles. This practice exposes the falsehood of claims regarding precise targeting. The targets list is empty except for innocent blood and meager livelihoods.
Al-Thawabta argued that attacking basic life infrastructure and pursuing laborers constitutes moral degradation. He described it as a complete war crime violating Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law. He called on the international community and human rights organizations to act immediately.
The demand is urgent to protect a population killed even while struggling to survive on a bicycle pedal. The situation highlights the extreme vulnerability of civilians relying on manual transport. The destruction of infrastructure has forced a regression to primitive methods under constant fire.
This report was produced in the Gaza Herald newsroom.
