Ahead of Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of hostile acts, the National Insurance Institute published updated data on the impact of terrorist attacks on Israel’s civilian population.
Data on the fallen and bereaved families:
Since 1851 (the establishment of the Jewish community in the Land of Israel) until today, the number of civilian fatalities stands at 5,313 (620 before the War of Independence, 931 during the War of Independence, and 3,762 since the end of the War of Independence).
- – From the establishment of the State until today, 4,587 civilians have been murdered, including 810 children under the age of 18.
- – In the past year, from last Memorial Day until today, 79 civilians were murdered in terrorist attacks. Of these, 35 were killed in Operation ‘Am KeLavi’, (June 2026), and 27 ‘Operation Roaring Lion’ (March 2026).
- – The number of civilians murdered since the outbreak of the ‘Swords of Iron’ war stands at 1,017.
- – A total of 223 foreign civilians (workers and tourists) have been murdered in Israel since the establishment of the state until today, 12 of them since the previous Memorial Day.
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Circles of bereavement:
Terror and hostilities have left 14,815 bereaved family members who are supported by the National Insurance Institute, of whom 367 have been added to the circle of bereavement since last Memorial Day:
- – 2,399 bereaved parents, 55 added since last Memorial Day.
- – 1,088 widows and widowers; the number stood at 1,058 on last Memorial Day.
- – 4,932 orphans (including 473 minors), with 142 added since last year.
- – 6,396 bereaved siblings (including 407 minors), 140 added since last Memorial Day.
Compensation payments, rehabilitation, and financial assistance to bereaved families:
In the first quarter of 2026 (January–March), approximately 110 million NIS in compensation and rehabilitation payments have already been paid to bereaved families.
- – Following Operation ‘Am KeLavi’ (June 2025) approximately 4.4 million NIS were paid to bereaved families, and for Operation ‘Roaring Lion’ (March 2026) approximately 250,000 NIS have been paid so far.
- – In the past three years (January 2023 – March 2026), the organization has paid over 1.5 billion NIS to all bereaved families.
Disabilities, injuries, and rehabilitation:
The number of civilian victims of hostile acts in Israel currently stands at 99,156 civilians – 51,171 women and 47,985 men. Of those affected by hostilities, 49,113 are recognized as disabled in varying degrees.
- – 34,449 civilians are recognized with psychological disabilities, 6,479 are recognized with physical disabilities, and an additional 4,448 have combined disabilities (physical and psychological).
- – 23,310 minors (children under the age of 18) are recognized and treated by the National Insurance Institute as victims of hostilities, 22,941 of whom were added to the treatment system in the past three years.
- – There are 146 civilian former captives, including 29 foreign nationals.
- – In Israel today, 170 civilians are living with amputations as a result of terrorist attacks, 13 of whom were injured since October 7th 2023.
- – 71,562 of the victims reside in the south of the country, a figure that constitutes approximately 72% of all victims in Israel.
Acting Director-General of the National Insurance Institute, Tzvika Cohen says “This year’s Memorial Day connects the heroes of the past with the heavy price of the current campaign. For us at the National Insurance Institute, memory is an open wound that is widening before our eyes and obliges us to continue supporting, with reverence and a sense of public mission, the bereaved families, circles of bereavement, and the victims. As early as this coming May, legislation will be amended to improve conditions for widows, orphans, and bereaved parents. Our Hostilities and Rehabilitation Division will continue to serve as a stable anchor for families and the injured, and will try to help, despite the great difficulty in rehabilitation and daily life, in order to try and ensure that out of the rupture, there is also resilience and hope.”
Memorial Day ceremonies at military cemeteries will take place in accordance with Home Front Command guidelines.
In Israel today there are 59,583 bereaved family members, including 8,420 bereaved parents, 4,872 widows, 14,430 children of the fallen, 31,814 siblings, 12 fiancées, and 35 guardians. 7,165 bereaved family members have been added since October 7, 2023—according to data from the Ministry of Defense published ahead of Memorial Day.
Deputy Director-General and Head of the Families, Commemoration and Heritage Division at the Ministry of Defense, Arieh Moallem says: “In these days, we are completing preparations for Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers and are preparing to commemorate the fallen and hold the events in accordance with Home Front Command guidelines. This is done with the aim of finding the right balance between the sanctity of Memorial Day and the sanctity of life.”
“This year, 170 fallen soldiers have been added to the list of the fallen, along with 54 disabled veterans who passed away as a result of their disability and were recognized during the year as fallen soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces. The memory of the fallen is the foundation of our unity. Behind every name stand families and deep pain, but also a force that continues to beat and connect us all. In Israel, memory does not fade, it is a national compass and an eternal flame. Our commitment is to keep it alive, in heart and action, and to pass on the legacy of sacrifice from generation to generation. At the Families, Commemoration and Heritage Division, we see supporting families and preserving memory as a national mission and work daily with sensitivity, professionalism, and dedication. We strengthen the security forces and the wounded, and stand by the families. We will continue to carry the legacy of the fallen in the heart of the nation and ensure its unity.”
The Families, Commemoration and Heritage Division at the Ministry of Defense invites the public to light a virtual memorial candle in memory of Israel’s fallen soldiers, to write a dedication on the “Yizkor” website, which was upgraded over the past year, and to share it on social networks. On the Yizkor website, it is also possible to print a personalized memorial candle label including the name, rank, and date of death of the fallen soldier, to be attached to a memorial candle.