Eli Shtivi said Monday that his son, Idan Shtivi, 28, fought fiercely against Hamas attackers during the October 7, 2023, assault on the Nova music festival, before being abducted to Gaza.
“Yesterday we were told he wasn’t killed on our soil, but that he fought the terrorists—those monsters,” Eli Shtivi told Radio Kol Barama. “He was a fighter, a strong guy. Today we can say he was a soldier in a special unit. He was strong physically and mentally and didn’t give in, until they shot him in the back like cowards—and then took him into Gaza. There they killed him, tortured him, and buried him.”
Eli Shtivi said he had continued to hope his son was alive even after being informed of his death last year. “I believed he was alive. Partly to preserve my sanity, and partly to have faith. I prayed to God every morning, put on tefillin, believing that Idan would return safe, whole, and smiling. God didn’t answer my prayers, but I understood they weren’t wasted. They went straight to the hostages and to the other people who suffer.”
Idan Shtivi was abducted during a surprise Hamas attack at the festival, where he had gone to photograph friends performing and leading workshops. Eyewitnesses said he helped two people he had just met escape, but they were killed, and Shtivi was taken into Gaza.
Authorities had believed Shtivi was alive for nearly a year. His death was confirmed on October 6, 2024, based on intelligence assessments approved by the Health Ministry, Religious Affairs Ministry and Israeli police. His body was recovered, along with that of fellow hostage Ilan Weiss, last week in a joint IDF and Shin Bet operation.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement Monday that Shtivi’s body had been returned to Israel in a special operation by the IDF and Shin Bet. “The return of Idan’s body marks closure for the family and fulfills the state’s basic duty to its citizens,” the forum said.
Shtivi is survived by his parents, Eli and Dalit, three siblings, and his partner, Stav. Family and friends remembered him as a lover of nature, photography, and animals, particularly dogs, and a courageous young man committed to helping others.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Shtivi’s bravery. “Idan was a gifted student and a courageous individual,” Netanyahu said. “We act tirelessly to bring back all our hostages, living and deceased.”
President Isaac Herzog added: “I hope that the return of Idan’s body brings some comfort to his parents and siblings. We will not rest until all our people are returned from the hell of Gaza, every last one.”