Civilians, soldiers, police officers, firefighters, parents, brothers, sisters and children: On the eve of the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, the Defense Ministry and the National Insurance Institute on Sunday published updated figures on those killed, including victims of hostilities and the wounded on the day of the attack and throughout the months of war.
The National Insurance Institute’s count refers only to civilians, including foreign nationals, and does not include members of the security forces or local civilian security squads. The Defense Ministry’s Department of Families, Commemoration and Heritage, meanwhile, publishes figures on those killed in Israel’s wars.
According to National Insurance Institute data, 778 civilians were murdered on the day of the massacre, and another 251 have been killed since then. In all, 1,029 people were murdered, not including members of the security forces and local security squads, who are recognized as fallen IDF personnel. Among those murdered were 63 children and teenagers under age 18.
The figures also have financial implications. Over the past three years, 87,286 victims of hostile acts have been added to the number of people handled by the National Insurance Institute, as distinct from members of the security forces, who are under the responsibility of the Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Department. Most were affected as a result of being present on October 7, while the rest were injured during the course of the war and in the operations Rising Lion and Roaring in Iran.
Of all those affected, about 43,000 applied to the National Insurance Institute to have disabilities recognized as resulting from hostile acts. The vast majority of applicants, about 40,000, had their disabilities recognized, while the remaining requests are currently being considered by medical committees.
Of those recognized, 34,878 were approved on psychological grounds, 3,171 for physical injuries and 2,355 for combined physical and psychological injuries.
In total, the National Insurance Institute has transferred more than 6 billion shekels to victims of October 7 and the war, including victims of hostile acts, bereaved families and families of hostages.
In addition to those payments, the institute issued various other grants, including reserve-duty compensation, grants for evacuees and payments to residents of northern and southern Israel who suffered financial harm because of the security situation.
Payments also were made to about 100,000 civilians placed on unpaid leave during Operation Rising Lion and nearly 200,000 civilians placed on unpaid leave during Operation Lion’s Roar. Unpaid-leave payments during the two operations totaled more than 2 billion shekels.
At the same time, the Defense Ministry’s Department of Families, Commemoration and Heritage expanded its operations, services and benefits for bereaved families during the war. Welfare workers, social workers, staff for the military commemoration unit and hundreds of emotional-support therapists were recruited to the department.
The military commemoration unit conducted funerals at 282 cemeteries and military burial sections across Israel and also arranged for the burial of fallen personnel abroad.