Israelis have come to a standstill as sirens wailed on Memorial Day, honoring fallen soldiers, those killed in fighting with Palestinians and victims of militant attacks.
Across the country, Israelis stopped what they were doing at 11 a.m. Wednesday and stood silently for two minutes to honor and remember the dead.
Israel says 23,320 security personnel have been killed since 1860, when Jews began moving back to the area of present-day Israel. Of those, 116 died last year, including 67 soldiers during a 50-day war in Gaza.
It's one of the most somber dates on the Israeli calendar. Places of entertainment shut down while radio and TV air documentaries about the fallen.
The sad atmosphere ends sharply at sundown when Israelis joyfully take to the streets for Independence Day celebrations.
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