Gaza’s children of war: Out on the streets after Israel, Hamas cease-fire

Hundreds of Palestinian children were in the crowd that came out on the streets to celebrate the 'victory' following the cease-fire between Hamas and Israel on Tuesday. The truce held on Wednesday.

Firearms and the little men: Palestinian children hold guns as they celebrate with others a self-claimed victory over Israel following a cease-fire. The open-ended cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip came into effect Tuesday and held Wednesday.

(Photo Courtesy: Reuters)

Cease-fire round of joy: One of the guns with the children had an empty magazine. The Gaza war — the third round of fighting since Islamic militant group Hamas seized power in 2007 — left more than 2,200 people dead.

(Photo Courtesy: AFP)

Victory in truce: Palestinian children flash the V sign for victory from a car in Gaza City. The two sides settled for an ambiguous interim agreement in exchange for a period of calm. Hamas, though battered, remains in control of Gaza with part of its military arsenal intact.

(Photo Courtesy: AFP)

Flag up: Children, one holding an Islamic flag, sit atop a car as Palestinians gather after declaration of cease-fire. Israel and Egypt will maintain a blockade tightened seven years ago, despite Hamas' long-running demand that the border restrictions be lifted.

(Photo Courtesy: AFP)Beaming face in the crowd: A Palestinian boy flashes the sign of victory as people gather in the streets, enjoying the respite from Israeli air and artillery strikes. Hamas declared victory, even though it had little to show for a war that killed 2,143 Palestinians, wounded more than 11,000 and left some 100,000 homeless.

(Photo Courtesy: AFP)

Two Palestinian children cover their faces and wear head banners with Arabic writing that reads " Qassam brigades" while flashing the victory sign during a celebration. On the Israeli side, 64 soldiers and six civilians were killed, including two by Palestinian mortar fire shortly before the cease-fire was announced.

(Photo Courtesy: AP)

Car tale: Palestinian children sit in the trunk of a car during a celebration for the cease-fire in Gaza City. Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had deliberately not put the cease-fire to a vote in his security Cabinet because of opposition from ministers who wanted to continue the fighting.

(Photo Courtesy: AP)

On the hood: A Palestinian child wearing a Hamas headband flashes the victory sign on the top of a car. While tens of thousands of Gazans heeded Hamas calls to flood the streets of Gaza City and other Gaza communities late Tuesday night, many appeared to be more interested in enjoying their freedom from Israeli attacks.

(Photo Courtesy: AFP)

In the frame: A Palestinian girl flashes victory sign while riding with her father. The war caused widespread destruction and paralyzed large parts of southern Israel during much of the summer.

(Photo Courtesy: AP)

Held aloft: A Palestinian Hamas supporter holds up a little girl wearing green flags. In the last 72 hours of the war, Israel had extended its attacks from crowded working class neighborhoods where support for Hamas is strong to a number of less militant areas, in a possible attempt to leverage middle class opinion to pressure the group to accept a cease-fire agreement more or less on Israel's terms.

(Photo Courtesy: AFP)

(with Text inputs from AFP)