233 soldiers died since last Memorial Day
Since 1860, Israel has lost 22,305 soldiers; country to mark Memorial Day next Sunday
The number this year is higher than in preceding years due to the Second Lebanon War, which claimed the lives of 119 soldiers.
The number of fallen soldiers includes all those who died in service since 1860, the year when Jews first established neighborhoods outside Jerusalem's walls.
The data is published annually by the Defense Ministry ahead of Memorial Day.
A one-minute siren will mark the start of the day at 8 p.m. next Sunday, during which Israelis stand in silence in honor of the fallen. Immediately afterwards, an official memorial service will commence at the Western Wall Plaza, attended by acting President Dalya Itzik.
A two-minute siren will be heard on Tuesday morning, followed by memorial services in 43 military cemeteries across Israel and by the Memorial for Fallen Bedouin Soldiers at Hamovil Junction.
The IDF will soon begin changing the wording on the graves of the soldiers who were killed during last summer's war. The gravestones will read 'killed in the Second Lebanon War' instead of 'fell in battle in southern Lebanon'. Several families have refused to have the wording changed on the graves of their loved ones.
