LTG Eyal Zamir and the General Staff Forum held a state memorial ceremony Monday morning at the Zikim base, site of heavy fighting on October 7, 2023. Zamir said the IDF failed its mission to protect civilians three years ago and must change. Families of fallen soldiers and wounded veterans attended the event, which included a moment of silence at 06:29 and a flag-lowering to half-mast.
The state memorial day for the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre opened Monday with an official ceremony at the Zikim base, one of the first sites attacked on the morning of the infiltration. The IDF Chief of Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, and the General Staff Forum gathered at 06:29—the exact time the assault began—for a moment of silence and a flag-lowering to half-mast, according to N12 (Amit Segal) and the IDF Spokesperson's unit.
Several hours later, at 10:20, a second ceremony took place with the participation of bereaved families and wounded veterans. In his address, Zamir stated: "Three years ago, the IDF failed in its mission to protect the citizens of Israel. This responsibility obligates us not only to remember, but also to change." The remarks were carried by Nitzan Shapira (N12).
The Zikim base saw some of the deadliest close-quarters combat on October 7, with Hamas terrorists breaching the perimeter and engaging soldiers for hours. The event marks the first state memorial ceremony under Zamir, who became Chief of Staff in March 2025, and comes three days before the calendar third anniversary of the attack. As The Zioneer reported earlier, the Knesset held its own parallel ceremony at 06:29, and national figures have called for accountability.
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