At Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, the state memorial ceremony for Israel Defense Forces fallen is taking place, while at the same time large crowds are visiting military cemeteries and paying tribute to their loved ones. Among the notable scenes, former IDF Chief of Staff and former minister Gadi Eisenkot is visiting the grave of his son, Gal Eisenkot, an IDF reservist soldier who was killed during the war in Gaza.
In Kfar Saba, an especially emotional ceremony is being held, the first since Lt. Hadar Goldin was laid to rest. Goldin was abducted during Operation Protective Edge, the 2014 war in the Gaza Strip, and was returned to Israel after more than 11 years.
As in cemeteries across the country, bereaved families, soldiers and civilians are standing silently beside the graves, where personal remembrance merges with national memory.
Additional state ceremonies will be held later in the day, including the memorial ceremony for victims of terrorist attacks at Mount Herzl. Memorial Day will conclude in the evening with the torch-lighting ceremony at Mount Herzl, which will open Israel's Independence Day celebrations.
