5,100 civilians were murdered in terrorist acts, 834 of them this year, 782 of them children and youth up to the age of 18.
In preparation for Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and the Fallen Hostilities marked on the evening of Sunday, 12.5.24, the National Insurance Institute publishes the number of civilians murdered in hostile actions from 1851 (the establishment of the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel), to the present day.
Hostile actions casualties
- The number of casualties stands at 5,100 (since creation of the state, the number of casualties reached 4,070 murdered). Of which: 782 children and adolescents up to the age of 18. In addition, 203 foreign citizens have been murdered as part of terrorist acts over the years.
- Since Memorial Day last year, 834 people have been killed in the hostile actions, 12 of them as a result of terrorist attacks that occurred before the disaster of October 7 (one of them is Hanna Tova Nachenberg Feiner, who was wounded in the "Sbarro" attack in Jerusalem in 2001 and died of her injury this year).
- From the 'Black Saturday' and during the entire 'Iron Swords' war, 822 civilians were murdered.
"Iron Swords" War Casualties
531 men and 291 women were killed in the war.
Of which: 40 children under the age of 18 and 68 foreign citizens.
Family members of the casualties
- Since 1851, the terror and hostile actions have left 3,948 orphans, 971 widows and widows, 4,616 brothers and sisters without their siblings, 1,603 bereaved parents.
- The disaster of October 7th left 630 orphans, 177 widows and widows, 1,355 left without brothers and sisters and 693 bereaved parents.
Payment to bereaved families and victims of hostile actions
In the past year (from last year's Memorial Day until today), the National Insurance Institute has paid more than NIS 1.8 billion in allowances and benefits to bereaved families and victims of hostile actions. (Approximately NIS 400 million for bereaved families and NIS 1.4 billion for hostile actions victims) in addition to parallel and ongoing activity within the framework of the National Insurance Institute's rehabilitation division and mental response.
Hostages
The disaster of October 7 involved another layer in which many civilians were taken hostages.
- Following the disaster, 201 civilians were taken hostages (not including security forces and on-call units), 106 civilians were returned from Gaza, 30 hostage civilians are defined as casualties, 8 of whom were buried in Israel. As we know, today the total number of hostages (including the security forces) stands at 132, of which 65 are civilians.
- To date, the National Insurance has paid to hostages who returned to Israel more than NIS 3.1 million as part of medical treatment benefits and allowances.
- To the families of hostages, the National Insurance has so far transferred approximately NIS 61 million as assistance for their return and the expenses involved as a result of the situation.
Payment to victims of hostile actions since the Iron Swords war
The National Insurance Institute paid victims of terrorist acts during the Iron Swords war about NIS 740 million in benefits and about NIS 12 million in rehabilitation treatments provided by the organization as assistance.
- Minister of Labor, Yoav Ben Tzur: "An entire country embraces and shares the pain of the bereaved families. As someone who met with them during this period, I know and feel that every day for them is Memorial Day and certainly this year after a terrorist event and disaster unprecedented in the history of the State of Israel. The hostile actions casualties are civilians who only wanted to make the most of the joy of life and in one moment lost their lives to criminal terror.
As Minister of Labor, and also in my capacity as trustee of the National Insurance Institute, I will continue to ensure that the assistance will be provided at all times and will even be increased following the legislative changes that are yet to come. We are one people, one family with a common destiny." - Zvika Cohen, Acting Director General of the National Insurance Institute: "This year, Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Hostilities is held in the midst of one of the most difficult and significant wars of the State of Israel. The disaster of October 7 added thousands of citizens to the bereaved families following the ongoing and bloody terror that is burning in each and every one of us.
The National Insurance Institute's management and employees will continue to accompany the bereaved families and victims of hostile actions, and we will continue to do everything we can to embrace, support and help. We see our role and direct contact with families and citizens as a moral, social and sacred mission, and we act accordingly."
Commemorating the victims on the Laad website
The National Insurance Institute, as part of its responsibility for the treatment of victims of hostile actions and the families of the fallen, is also involved in the commemoration of the fallen.
The memorial website "Laad" tells the story of the lives and deaths of the 5,091 martyrs who perished in hostilities to this day, of whom 821 are Iron Swords casualties (the publication on the website is done in coordination with the families, and some of them who are unwilling, for various reasons, to commemorate their loved ones on the website and therefore the number of memorialized is not identical to the overall number of casualties).
On the website you can light a candle "Yizkor", write a personal dedication to the victims, issue a label that will wrap the tangible memorial candle and also share on social networks.
This year as well, the National Insurance Institute continues the process of locating and documenting the place of burial of the fallen in the cemeteries (block and plot number), while so far 4,235 graves of hostile action casualties have been identified and documented.
Memorial Day events
- The event in memory of the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Hostile Actions Casualties, "Songs in their Memory" will be held at the Knesset on the eve of Memorial Day.
The event will be broadcast on TV channels and the National Insurance's Facebook account. - The names of hostile actions casualties will be broadcast on television on the eve of Memorial Day from 14:30 to 19:00, on Can 11 channel.
- The State Memorial Ceremony in memory of the victims of the hostile actions will take place on Monday, 5.13.2024, in Mount Herzl at 13:00 in the Memorial Plaza for the victims of the hostile actions. The ceremony will be held in the presence of the President of the State, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Knesset, the President of the Supreme Court and with the participation of the bereaved families and will be broadcast on the National Insurance's Facebook page and website.