IDF General Staff stands in silence at 06:29 at Zikim Base, attacked on October 7

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) General Staff Forum, the military's most senior command group, gathered at Zikim Base on the morning of October 5, 2026 for a memorial ceremony marking three years since the October 7 attack. According to the IDF spokesperson, the officers observed a moment of silence at 06:29, as part of the National Day of Remembrance for the October 7th Massacre.

The Times of Israel described the event as a short ceremony and noted that Zikim Base was itself attacked by terrorists during the onslaught. The Hebrew-language channel Abu Ali Express reported that the forum was headed by the chief of staff. The IDF released footage and photographs of the ceremony.

What the General Staff Forum is

The General Staff is the top tier of the Israeli military's command structure. Its forum brings together the chief of staff, known in Hebrew as the Ramatkal, with the generals who lead the army's main branches and regional commands. When it meets outside headquarters for a ceremony of this kind, the choice of location is usually meant to carry symbolic weight. The current chief of staff is Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.

Hebrew reports refer to the body as the forum of the Matkal, an abbreviation of the Hebrew term for the General Staff. Ynet's alert service also reported that the forum held a memorial event at the base to mark the date.

Why Zikim

Zikim Base sits in southern Israel, close to the Gaza Strip and the Mediterranean coast. On October 7, terrorists who crossed from Gaza reached the base and attacked it, one of many military and civilian sites struck that day. Holding the ceremony there placed the army's senior leadership at a location that was part of the fighting during the attack itself.

The time chosen for the moment of silence, 06:29, is the hour widely associated with the opening of the assault that morning. The reports themselves do not spell out why that minute was selected.

A national day of remembrance

The ceremony was one of several official observances on the day. The Times of Israel reported that flags were lowered to half-mast at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, as part of the national day of remembrance for the attack. Israel commemorates the date as a day of mourning for those killed in what it calls the October 7th Massacre, the Hamas-led assault from Gaza.

Earlier in the day, The Times of Israel reported, Zamir issued a written message to troops stating that it is Israel's "duty" to carry out a full investigation of the attack so that its lessons are learned. The question of how the military and the state examine the failures that allowed the attack has remained a live one in Israel since it took place, and the chief of staff's message placed it alongside the commemorations.

How the event was reported

Four organisations reported the ceremony within roughly half an hour of one another. Emanuel Fabian, military correspondent for The Times of Israel, posted the first account on Telegram and X, and his outlet carried it in its live blog. Ynet's alert channel and Abu Ali Express followed in Hebrew, and the IDF spokesperson published an official notice with links to video and images. The accounts are consistent on the core facts: the General Staff Forum, Zikim Base, a memorial ceremony and a moment of silence marking October 7.

The reports differ in detail rather than substance. Only the IDF spokesperson and Abu Ali Express give the 06:29 time. Only Abu Ali Express states explicitly that the chief of staff led the gathering. The Times of Israel and Fabian add that the base had been attacked by terrorists, which the official notice does not mention.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports names the officers who attended beyond the chief of staff, or says whether any speeches were given or what was said at the ceremony itself. They do not describe who else, such as bereaved families or soldiers who fought at the base, took part. They give no account of what happened at Zikim Base on October 7, including any casualties there. The reports also do not explain why the national day of remembrance was observed on October 5 rather than on October 7, and Zamir's call for a full investigation is reported without detail on what form such an inquiry should take.