Alon Farkas, 27 years old from Kibbutz Kabri, served as a combat soldier in Reconnaissance Battalion 6646 of the “Shualei Marom” (646) Paratroopers Division. Alon was killed on Wednesday during an assault carried out by Division 252 in the Sheja’iyya neighborhood, when an armed terrorist managed to approach the soldiers’ position and opened fire at close range.
Adi Kinan, a teacher and community coordinator in Kibbutz Kabri, shared his feelings in a conversation with Rega NEWS following Alon’s death.
“I knew Alon over the years—as a child, a teen, and an adult. We used to play a bit of basketball together on Fridays. We had a close connection,” Kinan recounted.
A Special Tradition
Just three months ago, Alon joined Kinan on a school trip to the Eilat Mountains. “I’m the school’s trip coordinator, so I asked him to come along and accompany us, and he came on the trip. We have this tradition where alumni accompany younger students from 10th to 12th grade. They join us during the trip—it’s a really special custom at our school.”
Kinan shared that Alon had completed around 300 days of reserve duty in the past year and a half. He was also a neuroscience student at Ben-Gurion University in Be’er Sheva.
“He was, as they say, truly one of the best of us,” Kinan added.
Quiet and Serious
As a student, Alon was a standout figure in the school’s theater department. He participated in productions and played lead roles. “He was a special person—quiet, thoughtful, and very serious. He was extremely talented and had so many friends. He was a very, very beloved child.”
The First to Falll
Kinan described the difficult emotions in the kibbutz on this painful day: “The feelings in the kibbutz have been very heavy since we heard of his death. It’s a huge loss, especially for his parents, his sister, grandparents, uncles, and close family. I’m sure it’s an immense loss.”
Alon is the first fallen soldier from Kibbutz Kabri.
“Until now, we hadn’t lost anyone in this war. And today it happened. We’ve been through a difficult war up north, and now it’s reached us. It’s very sad,” Kinan shared.
He concluded by emphasizing Alon’s most powerful message—the choice of life: “He was a man of life. I hope we are worthy of his loss—we as a country, and we as a people.”
