From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 27, 2024
As Israel starts day of mourning for Oct. 7, IDF chief honors those who gave their lives
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IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says Israel’s existence is thanks to those who have been killed and wounded while defending the country.
He makes the comments at the start of a national day of mourning for those killed in the Hamas-led October 7 massacres last year and subsequent war, after earlier ceremonies were held on the anniversary of the terror onslaught.
“The price of war is heavy for a nation that seeks to be free in its land,” he says in a statement, paraphrasing the national anthem. “It is the acts of heroism of the fallen and the wounded, in body and soul, that ensure our continued existence. We have a duty to complete the task for them.”
The official day of mourning began at 6:29 a.m., when Hamas began its attack on southern Israel last October, slaughtering some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages into the Gaza Strip.
At 11:00 a.m., the first of two state memorial ceremonies will held in memory of fallen soldiers and members of the Israeli security forces. At 2:00 p.m., the second ceremony will be held in memory of the civilian victims of the Hamas attack.
Most bereaved relatives have declined to sign up for the ceremony. At least two of the communities attacked on October 7 have said they will not mark the second day of mourning.
The Times of Israel Community.