Israel on Tuesday marks the national Memorial Day (Yom Hazikaron) to honor its 23,320 fallen soldiers and civilian victims of wars and terrorism.
A minute-long siren will sound out around the country a 8 p.m. (7 pm in Brussels), during which Israelis will stop everything (including driving) and stand in silence, commemorating the fallen.
The day has been observed in Israel for those who fell since 1860, when Jews were first allowed to live in Israel outside of Jerusalem's Old City walls.
A memorial torch-lighting ceremony will also take place after the siren at the Western Wall in Jerusalem attended by Israel's President Reuven Rivlin and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot.
On Wednesday at 11 a.m. a two-minute siren, which marks the opening of the official memorial ceremonies and private remembrance gatherings at each cemetery where soldiers are buried, will sound.
At 1 p.m., a ceremony honoring the victims of terrorism will take place at the Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery, in the presence of Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Eisenkot.
As night falls sadness will be replaced with joy as Israel celebrates its 67th Independence Day, with the official ceremony at the national military cemetery on Mount Herzl, when the flag of Israel is returned to full staff.
In 2014, 116 soldiers and civilians lost their lives: 67 soldiers and five civilians were killed during Operation Protective Edge last summer; two soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah missile attack in January. In addition, 35 IDF disabled veterans who died of their wounds have been recognized as IDF fallen soldiers this year.