Overview
- Across the country Tuesday, Israelis stood for two minutes of sirens, visited military cemeteries, and gathered at sites like Mount Herzl and the Nova festival grounds to honor the fallen.
- At the state ceremony in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had “removed an existential threat” from Iran and Hezbollah, drawing a shout from the crowd referencing hostages who died in Gaza tunnels.
- Confrontations broke out at Tel Aviv’s Kiryat Shaul cemetery when attendees tried to pull down protest signs during MK Ofir Sofer’s speech, with placards calling the coalition a “government of death.”
- Bereaved families described daily rituals of digital grief, including texting loved ones who were killed and revisiting their online accounts, as they pressed for lasting mental‑health support.
- Lawmakers are advancing the Shirel Golan bill after a January preliminary vote, seeking comprehensive, long‑term care for survivors of terror and their families.