GAZA: The vintage beige Mercedes would be eye-catching anywhere in the world, but it is especially so on the streets of Gaza City.
Munir al-Shandi, 42, stands as one of the few vintage car enthusiasts within the confines of the Gaza Strip. He boldly defies the harsh Israeli siege that has encircled this Palestinian coastal enclave to pursue his hobby.
As Shandi drives a 1929 Mercedes-Benz Gazelle, which he restored, through Gaza’s cratered roads, young children run after him in excitement, reaching out to touch the car’s pristine bodywork.
“Everyone in the street is amazed and asks to take pictures,” said Shandi, a mechanic, as he displayed the replica of the vintage car he had put together in his garage.
If the materials had been on hand, the restoration would have been completed more quickly and with greater quality and shape. —APP
