They are portrayed around the world as impoverished and malnourished, living in the shadow of an unfair Israeli siege. But at least 20 Gazans were in good enough shape at the weekend to compete in a bodybuilding championship at Gaza University.
Half-naked and well-oiled, the contestants pranced around stage flexing their muscles for the hundreds of spectators that can to see who would be crowned the next "Mr. Gaza."
Many were surprised to see a return of the muscle man contest considering the extremely conservative views of Gaza's new Hamas overlords. The competition was an annual event when the strip was ruled by the more secular Palestinian Authority.