How a Palestinian turned airstrikes into art

The tenuous 10-day cease fire that quieted the airspace between Gaza and Israel and allowed families to literally pick up the pieces of their shattered lives has ended.

Militants in Gaza fired a round of rockets at Israel on Tuesday evening, provoking a fatal airstrike from Israel. Blame ricochets back-and-forth, negotiations have been traded in for vows of violence, and experts worry the worst is still to come.

It's a harsh reality for those living in the war zone. But 27-year-old Tawfik Gebreel, who lives in Gaza, chooses to find some hope among the wreckage. The Palestinian architect and artist turns photos from the conflict into inspirational portraits of serenity, love, and strength. Using Photoshop, Gebreel manipulates plumes of black smoke into a father playing with his child, a fist emerging from ruins, and a stallion rearing above the crumbling cityscape.

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"I hope for peace," Gebreel writes in an email. And while he can't change the circumstances surrounding him, he is motivated to exhibit his work around the world so that people might connect the "sublime message of peace and love," he says, with Palestine. See a selection of Gebreel's transformative work below.