Israelis marked the country’s annual Memorial Day on Tuesday, a somber day of reflection observed with ceremonies at cemeteries and a nationwide two-minute siren during which people pause to remember the fallen.

In downtown Tel Aviv, many visited an informal memorial that emerged around a sunny, circular fountain following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed more than 1,200 people.

After sundown on Tuesday, the country shifts from its melancholic contemplation to exuberant celebration, kicking off Independence Day as trumpets blare and drums roll.

Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, but the holiday, like all national holidays, is observed according to the lunar Hebrew calendar.