5,229 civilians were murdered in terrorist actions, 79 of them since last year's Memorial Day, and 934 since October 7 to date

​In preparation for the Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror, which will be observed on the evening of Tuesday, 29.4.25 (Iyar 1, 5775), the National Insurance publishes the number of civilians murdered in hostile actions.

Data on persons killed and bereaved families

• From 1851 (the establishment of the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel) to the present day, the number of civilian casualties stands at 5,229. (Since the State's creation, the number of martyrs stands at 4,503 murdered).
• Total fallen victims - 800 children and youth up to the age of 18.
• 211 foreign citizens were murdered in terrorist actions over the years.
• From Memorial Day last year to date, 79 more were killed in hostile actions.
• Since the beginning of the war until today, 934 civilians have been murdered, 778 of whom were killed during the October 7 disaster.
  
• Among the war casualties: 615 men and 319 women. Out of them: 58 children under the age of 18 and 76 foreign citizens.
• Since 1851, terrorist and hostile attacks have left - 4,753 orphans, 1,058 widows and widowers, 6,155 siblings and 2,346 bereaved parents.
• The October 7 disaster left 1,023 orphans, 257 widows and widowers, 2,053 brothers and sisters and 1,143 bereaved parents.
  

Hostages

The October 7 disaster brought with it an especially difficult reality, with many hostages, including civilians and security forces personnel.

• 139 living civilians were returned from Gaza
• 38 civilians - their bodies were returned to Israel for burial.
• There are 40 hostages civilians left, of whom 22 are deemed deceased.

Payments to hostages:

• To date, the National Insurance has paid more than NIS 15.5 million to the returning hostages in medical care benefits and allowances.
• The National Insurance has transferred more than NIS 105.5 million to the families of hostages as assistance for their return and the expenses associated with the situation.

Hostile actions casualties

• The National Insurance paid more than NIS 1.5 billion in compensation to victims of hostile actions in the framework of the "Iron Swords" War, of which approximately NIS 23 million were paid as part of rehabilitation treatments supported by the institute.
• The number of civilian hostile actions casualties in Israel stands at 89,712, of which 75,995 since the October 7 tragedy and during the war.

Minister of Labor, Yoav Ben-Zur: "Memorial Day for the Fallen IDF Soldiers and Victims of Terror is difficult every year, and certainly during a war. This year alone, dozens of people have been murdered, and thousands of orphans, widows and widowers and bereaved parents. The pain is only growing over the loss of lives that were cut short by the hand of a ruthless enemy's cruel terror. As Minister of Labor, and also within the framework of my role as head of the National Insurance Institute, I will continue to ensure that assistance is 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, Deputy Director General of the National Insurance: "In the midst of one of the most difficult and significant wars of the State of Israel, Memorial Day for the Fallen of IDF Soldiers and Victims of Terror takes on a particularly sharp meaning due to the pain and loss in the past but also in the present. We owe our existence in Israel to the heroes who lost their lives as a result of the ongoing and bloody terrorism, and their memory is burned into each and every one of us. The National Insurance administration and personnel will continue to accompany the bereaved families and victims of hostile actions at all times, and we will keep doing everything we can to embrace, support, and assist. We see our role and the direct connection with families and citizens as a moral, social and sacred duty, and are acting accordingly."

Commemorating the Fallen

The National Insurance Institute, as part of its responsibility to care for hostile actions casualties and the families of victims, is also involved in commemorating the fallen victims.

• The commemoration website "Laad" brings the story of the lives and deaths of the fallen who perished in hostilities to this day (the publication on the Laad website is done in coordination with the families, and some of them are not willing, for various reasons, to commemorate their loved ones publicly on the website, and therefore the number of those commemorated is not similar to the total number of fallen victims).
  On the website, you can light a "Memorial" candle, write a personal dedication to the fallen, issue a label to wrap onto the memorial candle, and share it on social networks. This year, the National Insurance Institute is continuing the process of locating and documenting the burial places of the fallen in cemeteries (plot and section numbers), with 4,490 graves of hostile actions casualties having been located and documented so far.
• An event in memory of fallen soldiers of IDF 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 the National Insurance Institute's television channels and Facebook.
• The names of hostile actions casualties will be broadcast on television on the eve of Memorial Day, Tuesday, April 29, 25, from 2:30 PM to 7:00 PM, on CAN  Channel 11.
  
• The state memorial ceremony in memory of the fallen soldiers and victims of terror will be held on Wednesday, Iyar 2, 5775 - April 30, 2025, on Mount Herzl at 13:00 at the Memorial Plaza for the Hostile Actions Casualties. The ceremony will be held in the presence of the country's top brass and with the participation of the bereaved families, and will be broadcast on the National Insurance Institute's Facebook page and website.