Gravediggers reinforced by volunteers as casualties overwhelm Israeli military cemetery

On Wednesday, gravediggers at Israel’s largest military cemetery received assistance from volunteers as burials for soldiers killed in the attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip got underway. They prepared the burial graves for the soldiers at Mount Herzl National Cemetery by scooping dirt with shovels and a mechanised digger. At least 10 of the 1,200 Israelis killed in the attacks and subsequent fighting, which started on Saturday, have been recognised as troops, making up 169 of the total. The cemetery is named for the 19th-century author Theodor Herzl, who envisioned the establishment of the Jewish state and is home to numerous Israeli dignitaries and local soldiers. There is a grave for Herzl. It is sometimes compared to Arlington National Cemetery in the United States. Dozens of sombre mourners stood in a tree-lined area of Mount Herzl and observed a funeral. The number of casualties is projected to climb as a result of Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza, where the death toll for Palestinians topped 950 on Wednesday and the battle threatens to extend to other fronts. (With agency inputs)