"We are proud of our independence, of the miracle that is the State of Israel, but our hearts are filled with sorrow and pain," Herzog said at the traditional event held at the presidential residence with the military. This day is usually marked in Israel with a festive spirit, with an air force display that draws thousands of people to the streets across the country, and with barbecues and picnics in national parks and beaches. This year, the air show has been canceled and the festive street demonstrations will be more subdued in memory of the 128 hostages held by the Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip - at least 36 of whom are dead - and the 272 Israeli soldiers killed in combat in the enclave. "You are 120 beacons of light, 120 sources of comfort, 120 sources of hope. Your courage, excellence, determination, camaraderie and love of the people, the nation and the country are the source of our strength and inspiration," the president stressed, speaking to the 120 soldiers who attended today's traditional ceremony at the presidential residence in Jerusalem. The president stressed that Israel "will not let the enemy defeat them," referring to Hamas, the group that on October 7 last year carried out an unexpected attack on Israeli soil, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping another 253, which led to the outbreak of the current war in the Gaza Strip, in which more than 35,000 Palestinians have already died, according to the Islamist group. "We are determined, together, to make the historical, emotional and binding melody of our nation and our beloved country heard: the State of Israel. A melody woven from generation to generation, a melody linked to the eternal commandment: 'Am Yisrael Chai' (The people of Israel live)," Herzog stressed. Israel's Independence Day - which is celebrated according to the Hebrew calendar, which this year coincides with May 14 in the Gregorian calendar, on which, in 1948, David Ben Gurion proclaimed the creation of the State of Israel - follows Memorial Day, a solemn day on which the nation remembers the fallen soldiers and the "victims of terrorism" in the context of the conflict. For the Palestinians, this event is known as 'Nakba' (disaster, in Arabic), and is commemorated annually on May 15, the day on which the first Israeli-Arab war began, one day after the birth of the Hebrew state, and which forced the exodus of more than 700,000 Palestinians and the destruction of dozens of Arab villages in what is now Israel. Read Also: Truce in Gaza? Negotiations are now "almost at a standstill", says Qatar (Portuguese version)