Palestinians enjoyed a rare quiet day in Gaza on Friday after a six-month ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers went into effect.
An unnamed Gaza resident expressed his delight of being able to enjoy the benefit of the calm.
"We came here to Gaza Beach today because we are beginning to feel the calm that we had hoped for so long. Today, the Palestinian people are attempting to celebrate the triumph achieved by their legendary resilience in the face of the siege and the hunger they have been suffering."(Www.hxen.com)
The calm has raised hope of a break in the cycle of violence which has plagued the seaside strip and neighbouring areas of southern Israel for years.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said his government's peace talks with the Palestinian Authority are making progress, and Israel is prepared to compromise dramatically on territorial issues.
The ceasefire brokered by Egypt aims to bring an end to a year of fighting that has killed more than 400 people.
