There are 5,728 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Israel as of Tuesday, with 116 in serious condition, of whom 92 are ventilated.
Israel has recorded 210 fatalities due to the coronavirus as of Tuesday.
A total of 7,772 Israelis have recovered from the virus.
As Israel marked Yom Ha’Zikaron on Tuesday, with a two-minute siren sounding throughout the country at 11 a.m., police were deployed across the country to block access to military cemeteries.
The government has called on bereaved families to forego visiting the kevarim of their loved ones to avoid crowding at the cemeteries. However, in fear of ugly confrontations between the police and bereaved relatives, police did not stop Israelis that chose to ignore the instructions and walk into cemeteries.
On Israel's National Memorial Day
We remember the IDF soldiers,
Who fell defending Israel.
We remember the fallen,
The courageous,
And the brave. pic.twitter.com/P1MJMn7cxa— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 27, 2020
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu offered his sympathies to bereaved families, saying he also finds it difficult to refrain from visiting the kever of his brother Lt. Col. Yoni Netanyahu, who was killed during the 1976 Entebbe operation to rescue Israeli hostages after an Air France plane was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi promised bereaved families that IDF soldiers are placing Israeli flags at the kever of every fallen soldier:
An Israeli flag is placed on the graves of fallen soldiers in cemeteries across the nation for our Memorial Day.
“We continue in their path, full of determination and motivation, here to continue and fulfill our mission: defending the State of Israel.”
—LTG Aviv Kohavi pic.twitter.com/BSXzL5dwtB— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 27, 2020
Meanwhile, Israeli security officials are preparing to enforce a strict lockdown as Yom Ha’atzameut, which begins on Tuesday night, approaches. Israel Police increased their presence on highways and intercity streets to prevent unnecessary travel by the public and have set up 44 checkpoints on main highways.
All public transportation is stopping at 5 p.m. and will not resume until Thursday morning.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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