At 11:00 AM, a two-minute silence was sounded, and immediately afterwards the state memorial ceremony for the fallen of Israel's wars began at the Memorial Hall on Mount Herzl, in the presence of President Herzog, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Knesset Speaker Ohana.
At the same time, memorial ceremonies were held at military cemeteries across the country.
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Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the ceremony: "From the crumbling Rafah to the lofty peak of Mount Hermon - our sons and daughters are not willing to hold back on what the monsters who attacked us have done. They are determined to come to terms with the perpetrators of the massacres and atrocities, and even in these very moments, they are putting themselves at risk to create the conditions for the return of all our captives and victory over our enemies.".
He said that he and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, met with bereaved families: "The children spoke with choked tears about the longing. Our hearts expanded with them about the infinite pride they felt. One girl said, 'We were lucky that he was my father.' I told them that 'your father is still alive, in your hearts. You will remember that he gave life to you and to our country.'".
He said, "The martyrs left us a spiritual legacy, a commandment for life - 'Fight together, protect the country together, return the kidnapped together, and bring victory over our enemies together.' The light of victory of love for the country, of the brotherhood of the warriors, of faith, of sacrifice and of spirit. This is the light of victory of the martyrs and heroes of Israel's systems who gave their lives and bodies for our existence here. Their memory will continue to be engraved in our hearts forever.".
At 1:00 PM, the state memorial ceremony for the fallen of the hostilities will be held on Mount Herzl, in the presence of the heads of state.
At 4:00 PM, the state memorial ceremony for the fallen of the underground and the Gallows will be held in Acre.
At 7:45 PM, the torch-lighting ceremony will begin on Mount Herzl, ending the Memorial Day events and opening the country's 77th Independence Day events.
On the eve of Memorial Day 2025, the Ministry of Defense published the number of fallen soldiers in Israel's armed forces from 1860 to the present day - 25,420 fallen soldiers.
From Remembrance Day 1974 to the present day, 319 fallen soldiers have been added to the number of those who have fallen, and another 61 disabled people who died as a result of their disabilities were recognized during the year as fallen soldiers of the Israeli forces.
The National Insurance Institute has published the number of civilians murdered in hostilities from 1851 - the establishment of the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel - to the present day. The number of civilian casualties stands at 5,229, of which 800 were children and teenagers under the age of 18.
Since Memorial Day last year, 79 more people have been murdered in hostilities. Since the beginning of the war, 934 civilians have been murdered - 778 of them in the October 7 massacre.
