Gaza City - Life momentarily returned to the streets of the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning after Israel and Palestinian resistance groups accepted a request from the United Nations for a temporary pause in hostilities.

Having spent nine days trapped under intensive Israeli bombardment, people ventured out to markets, grocers, barbers, and banks, which have opened for the first time since before the Israeli aerial offensive began.

The five-hour cesation in fighting came a day after four Palestinian boys were killed at a beach in Gaza on Wednesday by an apparent naval bombardment.

Attaf Baker [L] refused Israel's apology for the incident [Fares Akram/Al Jazeera]

Attaf Baker, who lost his nine-year-old son, Ahed, and 10-year-old brother, Zakareya, told Al Jazeera that he was watching the news on television when a breaking news strap said that four children from his family were killed. "They always go to the sea. They are kids and they have energy and can't stay home all day," he said. 

The Israeli army released a statement on the incident saying: "Based on prelimenary results, the target of this strike was Hamas terrorist operatives. The reported civilian casualties are a tragic outcome. The investigation is ongoing."

"What should I do with their apology? They killed my only son and now they apologise? They say it's an error. Is ending the life of a child an error? Those were kids, not terrorists. They were just playing," Attaf Baker said. 

Arabi Baker, 11, one of the children who survived the strike on the beach told Al Jazeera they were playing on the beach when the incident took place."When we were playing, they fired a missile that hit my cousin, Ismail, and killed him, he said.

"Ismail was my closest cousin. We went to the school together, but he dropped out of school last year. I will go to his grave after the war is over. I will go there every day after school."