'Love goes on': Gaza boy celebrates birthday amidst rubble after Israel-Hamas tensions

It has been almost a week since Israeli Defense Forces stopped shelling the Gazan territory as Jerusalem and Hamas came under a ceasefire pact. In the aftermath, thousands have returned back to the streets, picking up whatever is left for them and rebuilding their homes. While the gloom still prevails, a photograph of a young Palestinian boy celebrating his birthday has now sparked cheers

The picture shows how a group of children have come together to celebrate the birthday of a boy. The young boy is seen smiling, surrounded by his friends and father, who all are singing the birthday song. Despite the pleasantness of the celebration, the destruction caused by the 11-day war is clearly visible in the form of debris and falling buildings.

'Life and love goes on' 

“A birthday party in Gaza. Life & love goes on,”  wrote law professor Khaled Beydoun, sharing the picture clicked by Mohammed Zaanoun on Twitter. With over 31.1k likes and 8,000 retweets, the photograph has touched netizens’ hearts. Many users shared their reaction in the comments section.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas-led militants in the Gaza Strip has held since last week. At about 2:00 am (Israel Daylight Time) on May 21, both the warring parties announced a ceasefire, ending the 11-day war that led to over 250 deaths, mostly Palestinians. The truce witnessed a brief weak moment after as a scuffle erupted between Palestinians and Israeli Security Forces at the contested Al-Aqsa complex, however, the overall situation remained stable.  

The Gaza Strip, most of which has been reduced to rubbles by the Israeli airstrikes, saw Palestinians scrounging their belongings in the heaps of brick and mortar. On the other hand, economists touted that the fighting could curb Israel's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Israel and Hamas have fought four wars in less than a decade. 

Image: Mohammad Zaanoun/KhaledBeydoun/Twitter