Israelis observe Holocaust Remembrance Day amid conflict with Hamas

Tel Aviv, May 6 (IANS/DPA) Israel, on Monday, is commemorating the six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis and their accomplices during the Holocaust, as the Palestinian Islamist Hamas group holds more than 100 hostages from Israel.

On Monday morning, sirens blared for two minutes across the country to commemorate the catastrophe. Cars stopped on the streets and passers-by stood in silent remembrance of the victims. Then, the central commemoration ceremony began at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem.

This year, Remembrance Day is being observed in the shadow of the Gaza war, which has already lasted seven months. More than 100 Israeli hostages are still held by Hamas.

On the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasised that Israel must defend itself - alone if necessary.

"During the terrible Holocaust, there were important leaders who stood on the sidelines. The first lesson from the Holocaust is, therefore, if we do not defend ourselves, no one else will defend us," he explained in Yad Vashem on Sunday evening. "And if we have to stand up for ourselves alone, then we will stand up for ourselves alone."

According to estimates, Germany's Nazi Party and their accomplices murdered around six million Jews between 1933 and 1945, when they were defeated by the Allied powers in World War II.

According to official figures, 1,32,826 Holocaust survivors still live in Israel. An estimated 2,500 were directly impacted by the events of October 7, when Hamas invaded Israel, killing 1,200 and taking some 250 hostages.

Around 2,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel have been forced to leave their homes because of the war in Gaza.