Some 6,000 mourners, including bereaved parents, wives and children, gathered at a temporary war cemetery near Kibbutz Beeri in the western Negev yesterday to pay their respects to approximately 300 Israeli soldiers who fell in the fighting in the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula. The occasion was the 30th day of the mourning period, the traditional time for completing the initial observance for the dead.
Meanwhile, it was reported here that about 700 Israeli soldiers are still hospitalized, of whom some hundreds are classified as permanently disabled. The total number of disabled resulting from the Arab-Israel war is expected to exceed 1,000. Those most seriously disabled by the hostilities, such as paraplegics, will be given cars by the Ministry of Defense.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.