Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, or 'Yom Hashoah' in Hebrew, as the country honors and remembers the 6 million Jews exterminated by the Nazis during the Holocaust of World War II. (Xinhua/JINI)

JERUSALEM, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Israel came to a standstill to the sound of sirens on Thursday morning to mark the Holocaust Remembrance Day.

People across the country stood in solemn silence in honor of the six million Jewish victims of the Nazis during the Second World War as the two-minute sirens pierced the air.

The sirens marked the beginning of a series of memorial activities on the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day, an official day to commemorate the Jews who died at the hands of Nazi Germany and its collaborators in World War II.

In streets and highways, traffic abruptly stopped. Many drivers stepped out of their vehicles, standing still in contemplation. Pedestrians halted their steps and stood in silence. In many homes, businesses, and offices, people stopped their activity and stood still, contemplating the victims of the Nazi genocide.

TV channels and radio stations were broadcasting solely Holocaust-related content, such as documentaries, interviews with survivors, and melancholic songs.

Memorial ceremonies were held in schools across the country.

Later on Thursday, a wreath-laying ceremony would be held at the Yad Va'Shem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. The annual ceremony would be attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, representative of the security forces, and Holocaust survivors.