Sgt. Nir Kahane

Dec 8, 2005 - Sgt. Nir Kahane, 20, of Kiryat Tivon, was stabbed to death at the Kalandiya checkpoint, south of Ramallah. The Fatah al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack.

Sgt. Nir Kahane, a member of the IDF checkpoints unit, Taoz, established in June 2004 after the army detected a need for skilled and professional manpower to conduct security checks at the West Bank crossings. Nir, like all members of the unit, underwent special training and preparation at a Military Police training camp.

The Palestinian terrorist approached the Kalandiya checkpoint at around 3:45 p.m. and pushed through the "humanitarian needs" line reserved for the elderly, infirm, and pregnant women. He pulled out a knife which was hidden in his clothes, and slit Nir Kahane's throat. Nir, who was checking luggage belonging to Palestinians, was fatally wounded and pronounced dead on the scene. The assailant was apprehended.

Family members spoke of Nir's determination to offer meaningful service to his country. His father, Baruch, said that Nir had wanted to serve in a combat unit, but that his medical profile had precluded combat duty. He had been disappointed with his placement in the military police, but was determined to serve in the checkpoints unit in order to have the most frontline of assignments possible with his medical profile.

Nir was on leave from Sunday till Wednesday, when his father drove him to the bus station in Haifa. “He told me that there are warnings of attacks, that the job is grueling, dangerous and unpleasant but he is doing it despite everything. For us this was anxiety 24 hours a day. He could have joined a regular unit, because of his low medical profile, yet he wanted to do something important,” Baruch Kahane said.

Friends spoke of Nir as a computer aficionado, who spent most of his free time pursuing his hobby.

Sgt. Nir Kahane was buried in Kiryat Tivon. He is survived by his parents, Baruch and Sarah, and two brothers - Ran, 24, and Ziv, 9.