As siren sounds, Israel stops to remember its fallen soldiers, terror victims

As the siren wails, Israelis pay tribute to the country’s fallen soldiers and terror victims — from their homes and balconies.

As a result of the pandemic, it is the first Memorial Day in which visits to military cemeteries have been banned, along with gatherings and the traditional memorial ceremonies held across the country.

The government has imposed stricter lockdown measures over Memorial Day and Independence Day on Wednesday to prevent crowding and an outbreak of the coronavirus.

Forty-two soldiers and civilians were killed since last Memorial Day and the number of Israeli casualties of war stands at 23,816, according to figures released by the Defense Ministry on Friday. Since last Memorial Day, 75 new names were added to the roster of those who died defending the country since 1860.