Tel Aviv - Israel commemorated its more than 22,000 fallen soldiers and victims of terrorist attacks on Tuesday evening with a blast of sirens at 8 pm (1700 GMT). In addition to the sirens, traffic came to a halt and businesses, bars and restaurants closed.

Israeli President Shimon Peres lit a memorial flame in the old city of Jerusalem at the Wailing Wall, the site believed to be the remains of the ancient Judean temple.

"We do not want war," Peres said in a speech. "But when it is forced upon us, I advise friend and foe alike to stand on the right side, on our side, on the side that always won and will always win."

According to the Israeli Defence Ministry, 133 of the country's soldiers and civilians died either during military service or as victims of attacks.

On Tuesday, the fallen are to be honoured at more than 40 military cemeteries around the country, with sirens again to sound at 11 am (0800 GMT) for two minutes.

The counting of the total number of dead, 22,570, begins in 1860.(dpa)