Pictures of a colourful Ramadan iftar dinner taking place amid the rubble in the Syrian town of Douma have been widely shared online as a symbol of resilience in the face of death and destruction.

Photos and video of a heavily damaged street in the rebel-held suburb of Damascus emerged after being shared by rebel activists this week. The outdoor celebration was organised by the Adeleh Foundation, a rebel-affiliated charity group mostly run from Turkey.

Dozens of residents can be seen enjoying the iftar meal, eaten after sunset on fasting days during the holy month of Ramadan, which ends this week, including many smiling children.

Adeleh said it would organise meals up until Eid al-Fitr, which begins on Friday or Saturday - the holiday which follows Ramadan.

“We would have normally been cautious to host such events due to air strikes, but we are taking advantage of the latest de-escalation deal,” an Adelah spokesperson told the BBC.

An agreement declaring the establishment of four 'safe zones' across Syria was negotiated by Russia, Iran and Turkey last month, and is mostly holding.

Douma has been a major flashpoint for conflict in the six-year-old civil war. It is currently controlled by Islamist rebel group Jaish al-Islam and has suffered air strikes since 2012 and a siege by pro-government forces since 2013.

Residents had become used to iftar gatherings taking place out of sight of warplanes in mosques and private homes, rather than out on the street.

In May an aid convoy entered the area - where food and medicine are scarce and prices have skyrocketed - for the first time since October 2016.

The images and video footage have been shared thousands of times online since they surfaced on Tuesday.