June 6, 2025 marks the second birthday that Idan Shtivi will spend in Hamas captivity. Idan was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, at age 28. One year later, on October 7, 2024, Israel confirmed that Idan was killed during that attack. Now, more than 600 days after the attack, Idan’s body is still being held by Hamas.
Davar spoke with Idan’s father, Eli Shtivi, about his work to bring his son home.
The conversation took place in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, where Eli was rearranging some of the photos of his son. “I would like them to be in front of people’s eyes,” he explained. “I feel we must highlight everyone. There are hostages who are too quiet, and they are not seen. Our job is to highlight the quiet ones.”
“My son has been there for 600 days, and I feel helpless,” Eli said. “I am a doer, I need to be constantly doing something, which is why this helplessness is so difficult for me.”
Eli called on the public to observe his son’s birthday as a fast day in honor of the hostages still held in Gaza. “I also plan to fast on this day. Because I also, apparently, did not do enough,” he said. “Until everyone returns, I have not done enough. Israel will not be quiet and will not be silent until everyone returns.”
“If I were a father of a boy who needs to enlist today, I would do everything to move to another country so he wouldn't have to enlist,” Eli continued. “The hostages haven't been returned for almost two years. What is a parent supposed to say to his child? If you get kidnapped, and you are a soldier, your chances of coming back are negligible. It's hard for me to say this, because I am an idealist, a Zionist, and my love for the country and the land is part of me.”
He noted that Idan would never have agreed to move to another country to avoid enlistment. “He is an idealist in every fiber of his being,” he said. “All these children, children with good souls, with all their innocence and beauty, went to a party of peace and love, and they were hunted down like animals, in an unimaginable cruelty. This is the biggest blow to our people, but also to the world.”
Idan attended the Nova music festival with a group of friends, all of whom made it back alive except for him.
“He just stayed there to help a couple, and because he decided to stay a bit longer, he was kidnapped,” Eli said. “I know I would have told him to do exactly what he did. That's the education I gave him, that's the child I raised.”
According to Eli, Idan brought the couple—Yulia Didenko Lamai and Bar Lior—to a car belonging to Guy Illouz, who had also been attending the festival. Terrorists shot at the car, which eventually stopped working. All four were murdered, and the bodies of Idan and Illouz were taken into Gaza.
“My great comfort is that they are in the best place—they are above the angels, next to God. They are the pure souls, they are heroes of Israel. I am a spiritual person. I have no doubt that they are watching over us here,” Eli said.
On Friday, an event commemorating Idan’s birthday will take place in Hostages Square.
This article was translated from Hebrew by Benji Sharp.
