The state memorial ceremony commemorating the fallen soldiers of the Iron Swords War and the victims of October 7 began at the Great Leaders of the Nation section of Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. Among those in attendance were President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Police Commissioner Danny Levy, Shin Bet Director David Zini, Mossad Director Roman Gofman, government ministers, and representatives of bereaved families.
In his speech, Netanyahu said, “Even three years after the outbreak of the war, when the State of Israel is stronger than ever, the horrific hours of the Simchat Torah massacre remain seared into us.” He added, “There will be no Hamas rule in Gaza—everyone who was involved in the attack against us and held our hostages is living on borrowed time. Day after day, we hold these despicable murderers to account.”
President Herzog called for an investigation into the circumstances that led to the massacre “with determination, courage, and without bias, and to understand how this happened to us. No passage of time absolves us of this duty. There are clear lessons that we already know we must internalize, we must not ignore warnings or alarming signs. We must also look directly at what is happening to us within our own home, inside.
“Over the past three years, we have seen families grappling with loss, injury, unfulfilled expectations, unrelenting uncertainty, and a demand for answers and a response,” the president said. “We have seen civilians forced to leave their homes. Communities uprooted from their daily lives. An entire country forced to confront a reality we had never known. Amid all this, we have also seen the strength that this remarkable people knows how to summon. We have seen Israelis rise from their pain to help others. We have seen Israelis extend a hand, and encounter an outstretched hand in return.”
Herzog also mentioned the female surveillance soldiers at Nahal Oz in his speech: “They were the eyes of the IDF and the state. They watched and warned. While we slept, their eyes remained open. They remained constantly alert, sharp, vigilant, monitoring the screens and maintaining communications.
“At 6:29 a.m. on that terrible morning, they identified the terrorists approaching the fence and issued a warning,” he added. “They saw them crossing it. They watched and warned. They announced in steady voices the military code for a terrorist infiltration into Israel. The danger was making its way toward them, and they continued reporting, calmly and courageously. Fifty-three male and female soldiers from various and diverse units fell in the heroic battle at the Nahal Oz outpost. Hundreds more fell that day at different locations. All of them are heroines; all of them are heroes.”
Following the speeches, the wreath-laying ceremony began. During the wreath-laying by Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, one person in the audience shouted at him: “You do not deserve to lay a wreath.”
The Knesset is marking today (Monday 24th Tishrei) the national day of remembrance for the October 7 massacre and heroism and for the War of Revival. At 6:29 a.m., the national flags displayed in the Knesset plaza were lowered to half-mast, in a ceremony attended by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Knesset Director General Moshe Edri, Knesset Guard Commander Superintendent Yuval Chen, and an honor guard of Knesset Guard personnel.
The president opened the national day of remembrance by lowering the Israeli flag to half-mast at the President’s Residence. The IDF General Staff Forum held a memorial ceremony and a minute of silence at 6:29 a.m. at the Zikim base near the Gaza border.
A memorial candle was placed at the entrance to the Knesset and will remain lit throughout the day. Wreaths of flowers were placed at the foot of the memorial for Israel’s fallen soldiers and the monument commemorating victims of terror.
At 2:00 p.m., the state memorial ceremony for the massacre and heroism will be held at the Memorial to the Fallen Victims of Terrorism on Mount Herzl, attended by the country’s leaders, and will include speeches.
“The IDF Failed in Its Supreme Mission to Protect the Citizens of the State of Israel”
Golani Brigade Commander: “A day etched into the national memory and the heritage of the people’s brigade, the Golani Brigade, and it will remain so forever. A day of failure and immense pain, but also a day when soldiers and commanders rose from the surprise, ran into the fire, and used their bodies to protect civilians.”
IDF Chief of Staff: “On October 7, the day of Simchat Torah 5784, our borders were breached in a bloody attack on the citizens of Israel. The IDF failed in its supreme mission to protect the citizens of the State of Israel. In the wheat fields, the orchards, the kibbutz homes and the cities of the western Negev, in places where the roots of life and settlement had been planted, the enemy sowed fire, destruction and devastation. Roads that connected communities became combat routes. Our fields became battlefields, and family homes became sites of massacre and abduction.
“Today, three years on, an entire nation bows its head and mourns. We remember the civilians who were murdered in their homes, the young women and men who went out to dance and never returned, those who were abducted and murdered in captivity, the male and female combat soldiers who fell, the members of the security forces, and the civilian security and rescue teams who went into the inferno and fell in battle. We stand alongside the wounded and those affected by the war, and embrace the bereaved families. The memory of the fallen and murdered will remain before our eyes and remind us of the enormity of the responsibility entrusted to us. Their heroism, dedication and camaraderie are part of our heritage.”
“We will carry their stories with us and educate generations of commanders and soldiers in their spirit. It is our duty to investigate and ensure that the lessons are implemented, so that we may be more deserving of the trust that the people have placed in us. Out of that difficult morning emerged the heroism of a generation. The people of Israel, in all their diversity, came together to defend their home and restore security. IDF soldiers and commanders, both in the standing army and the reserves, charged into the fire and fought tirelessly. Reservists left their families time and again and reported for duty wherever they were needed. IDF civilian employees showed up at their workplaces even beyond regular hours, ready for any mission to assist the war effort. In the most difficult moments, the unity and exemplary spirit of Israeli society were revealed. A people that comes to the aid of its sons and daughters, fights for its revival, and leaves no one behind.”
“This is the spirit of victory, the spirit that our enemies will never be able to break. From that day, we embarked on a prolonged campaign—we fought on near and distant fronts, defended communities and borders, struck our enemies and destroyed capabilities that threatened the citizens of Israel. We rescued and brought hostages home, adapted and developed new ways of confronting threats—we will not allow our enemies to grow stronger unchecked; we will identify threats as they emerge and strike them with determination and force. IDF soldiers and commanders, you are the heroes standing guard over the homeland, the shield deployed to protect its citizens, and the sword raised against its enemies. It is a privilege and a source of pride for me, as Chief of Staff, to lead the army of Israel’s heroes.”
“We will carry with us the memory of the fallen and the lessons of October 7, and build a future in which the citizens of Israel will live in security in their country. As the people’s army, we will continue to serve together, build the IDF’s strength in preparation for the challenges that still lie ahead, preserve its values and spirit, and lead it to victory. We will ensure that this people, which returned to its land, will never again be uprooted from it. This is our duty to the fallen, our responsibility to the citizens of Israel, and our oath to future generations. The people of Israel live. May the memory of the fallen be a blessing.”
The ceremony was scheduled for two days before October 7, in accordance with the original government decision stipulating that the ceremony would be held every year two days after Simchat Torah. On October 6, the government will hold a special cabinet meeting to mark the events of October 7.
The national memorial ceremony organized by the October 7 families will be held on Wednesday, October 7, at 9:15 p.m. at Hayarkon Park (Ganei Yehoshua) in Tel Aviv.