Israel marks Memorial Day with 249 soldiers and civilians killed over past year
Israel prepares to mark Memorial Day on Monday night, coinciding with newly released figures showing 249 soldiers and civilians killed over the past year and tens of thousands of fallen security personnel and civilians since the country’s founding.
Ahead of Memorial Day, an Israeli woman kneels at the grave of a fallen soldier in Jerusalem’s Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery on April 19, 2026. Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL
Ahead of the commemoration, the Ministry of Defence and the National Insurance Institute released updated figures detailing the scale of loss over the past year and since the country’s founding.
According to the Ministry of Defence, 170 IDF soldiers have been killed since last Memorial Day. This figure includes those who fell in operational activity, accidents, illness, and suicide during their service. An additional 54 disabled veterans who died from complications linked to their injuries were also recognised as fallen soldiers.
The total number of Israel’s fallen security personnel since 1860 now stands at 25,644. The military bereavement circle currently includes 59,583 family members — parents, widows, children, and siblings — with 7,165 newly added since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023.
Civilian losses also remain significant. National Insurance Institute data showed 79 civilians were killed in missile and terror attacks over the past year, contributing to a total of 4,587 civilian fatalities since the state’s establishment. Included are 20 civilians and foreign nationals killed in Iranian missile barrages in 2026.
Overall, 5,313 people have been killed in hostile acts since 1851, including 810 children and teenagers. Since October 7, 2023, 1,017 civilians have been killed.
The National Insurance Institute traces civilian fatalities in hostile acts back to 1851, reflecting early recorded attacks on the pre-state Jewish community. The Ministry of Defence, which tracks fallen soldiers and security personnel, dates its figures to 1860, the early period of organised Jewish settlement and defence activity in the land.
Over the past three years, the institute has paid out more than NIS 7.3 billion ($2.4 billion) to victims and their families. This includes more than NIS 500 million ($166 million) disbursed in the first quarter of 2026.
Independence Day immediately follows Memorial Day. A nationally televised torch-lighting ceremony at Jerusalem’s Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery on Tuesday at sundown marks the transition.
