Israel Marks Independence Day With Yom Ha'atzmaut Ceremonies

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - MAY 14: A man waves an Israeli flag while watching a civilian flyover along the beach on Yom Ha'atzmaut on May 14, 2024 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Planes flew in the missing man formation as part of a flyover by the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, which still has five community members that are being held hostage as part of the over 100 held in Gaza. The transition from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Ha'atzmaut occurs minutes after sundown on May 13, marked by a ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. The flag, lowered to half-staff for Memorial Day, is raised to the top of the pole. This year’s IDF flyover show was cancelled and celebrations are expected to be more subdued with countless protests planned calling for the release of over 130 hostages and the ongoing Israel- Hamas war. Israel celebrates Independence Day on the fifth day of Iyar, corresponding to May 14, 1948, the date of the formal establishment of the State of Israel with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)