Remnants of war become art in Gaza

Four flower vases adorn the living room of Hossam al-Dabbus's home. Initially inconspicuous, a closer look reveals they are made of Israeli tank shells collected by war-scarred Gazans.
The refugee camp dweller has picked through the rubble of the coastal strip to turn the remains of a conflict that killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians and more than 70 Israelis, into objects of art.
"I wanted to keep a souvenir, but my relatives and neighbours felt uncomfortable with them around, so I had the idea of painting them to make them beautiful," the 33-year-old told AFP.
In his hands, the twisted remnants have taken on a new life -- shell casings covered in golden motifs, tail fins turned into the feet of a vase, the dull metal disappearing under an explosion of painted flowers.
"When my children grow up I'll be able to show them these and tell them -- here are remains of the 2014 war that left over 2,000 people dead, and this is how I transformed an instrument of death into a vessel of life, making these bombs into flower vases," he said.
During the seven-week war which ended on August 26, the Israeli army fired countless missiles and tank shells at Gaza, and Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and mortar shells at Israel.