Israelis observe Remembrance Day

JERUSALEM, April 15 (UPI) -- Israelis observed 2 minutes of silence Monday morning as sirens rang out across the country in honor of Remembrance Day.

Fifty-two official memorial services for the war dead and victims of terror attacks were held in Israel, drawing approximately 1.5 million Israelis to the country's cemeteries, the military estimated.

President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu attended a ceremony at Mount Herzl, Israel's national cemetery in Jerusalem while Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon attended one at the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery near Tel Aviv, Israeli broadcaster Arutz Shiva reported.

During the ceremony in Jerusalem, Netanyahu criticized Israel's enemies, who "massacre us and criticize us for [defending] ourselves."

"We will not give up and we will pursue the terrorists and strike them in every place," he added.

Netanyahu and Peres both laid wreaths for victims of terror attacks at the cemetery, The Jerusalem Post reported.