JANUARY 23: A teenager plays a game of soccer with friends in front of his damaged apartment building on January 23, 2009 in a heavily damaged suburb in Gaza City, Gaza Strip. Residents of Gaza are still suffering from severe food and water shortages. According to reports, 13 Israelis and over 1300 Palestinians were killed in the Mideast conflict.

more pics and stories after the jump

Palestinian boys play soccer in front of a building destroyed in an Israeli strike in Rafah, southern of Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009.

Palestinian boys play soccer after attending school in Jebaliya, northern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009. Tens of thousands of children have flocked back to schools throughout the Gaza Strip, days after Israel ended its fierce military operation against the territory’s rulers

A Palestinian boy plays with a soccer ball in front of a destroyed house on the outskirts of Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip January 19, 2009, after Israel’s offensive in Gaza. More Israeli forces left the Gaza Strip on Monday after a 22-day assault on Hamas militants, and both sides kept a ceasefire, allowing dazed Palestinians to survey the destruction and mourn their dead.

All you need is the ball, a couple of friends too only makes it better. The amazing this is that with these pics you have kids playing in jeans, no shoes, and I’m just guessing here but given that the buildings are destroyed behind them, I’m going to say that the pitch is less than desirable … but if you look closely at their faces and body language, that doesn’t seem matter at all. All you need is the ball and its on

images and captions from daylife.com