Bodybuilding champion battles to feed his family

When the war began, Maher Haboush, a bodybuilding champion, coach and father of two girls from Gaza city, became a symbol of strength and resilience. Once representing Palestine with pride, fuelled by six protein-rich meals a day and a body sculpted through discipline, Mr Haboush’s current battle is no longer on the stage – it is the daily struggle to secure even the most basic meals for his family. “At the beginning [of war], markets were open and we stocked up on food,” Mr Haboush tells The National. But within a month, the Israeli army’s entry into Gaza city made movement nearly impossible.