An Israeli reservist who served more than 300 days during the war in Gaza was killed Tuesday in a clash with terrorists in the northern part of the enclave, the military said.
Master Sgt. (res.) Alon Farkas, 27, from Kibbutz Kabri in northern Israel, was killed during an encounter in Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighborhood. Another reservist was seriously wounded in the incident, which occurred when a gunman opened fire on troops operating outside a post and fled into a residential area.
Farkas, a neuroscience student at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, had expressed concern in recent weeks about the continued fighting and its direction. “He kept asking, ‘How much longer will this go on?’” one of his friends said. “He was deeply troubled by the expansion of the operation.”
Despite his growing unease, Farkas remained committed to his unit, the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit, and returned for a third round of reserve duty.
“He wanted to begin his life with his girlfriend, but for him, if there were reserve orders, he reported without hesitation,” the friend said. “Still, this time felt heavier. It had become too much.”
Farkas grew up in Kibbutz Kabri, though his family later relocated to Pardes Hanna. He will be buried there Wednesday morning. He is survived by his parents, Daniela and Javier, and a younger sister, Noa.
“Alon was a remarkable person,” said Adi Keinan, a spokesperson for the kibbutz. “Just two months ago he accompanied students from his former school on a trip to the Eilat Mountains. He told them he was going back to reserves because ‘it’s what needs to be done.’”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Friends described him as warm, gifted, and intellectually curious. A musician and theater graduate, he was known affectionately as “the professor of the group.”
The 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade, with which Farkas served, has been tasked with holding defensive positions in the buffer zone between Israel and Gaza. The area includes the eastern edges of Gaza City, near Shujaiya.