Father of Kidnapped Israeli Victim Idan Shitrit Vows to Continue Son’s Mission
Eli Shitrit shared a poignant interview with Channel 7, recounting his last phone call with his son Idan Shitrit, who was kidnapped and murdered during the October 7 attack at the Nova party. More than two years after the tragedy, Eli lives with the pain but is determined to transform his loss into a public mission by continuing Idan’s legacy.
Idan’s final call came at 12:30 a.m., initially seeming routine but later understood by Eli as a farewell. Hours later, Eli awoke to sirens and learned from Idan’s partner that Idan was on his way home. Eli tried to reach him near the Yad Mordechai checkpoint but was stopped by military forces citing thousands of militants in the area. Despite this, Eli insists he had to reach his son, who was just minutes away.
Eli reconstructed Idan’s last movements, describing his son’s heroic efforts to lead friends to safety, return to rescue a trapped couple, and evade militants despite being shot. Idan and a friend hid wounded for hours, calling for help without success. Eventually, militants captured Idan and took him to Gaza, where he was killed. Eli painfully watched footage of his son’s murder but held onto hope when a photo showed Idan blinking.
Following official confirmation of Idan’s death, Eli struggled to accept reality and refused to mourn traditionally. He has since spoken extensively in the media, addressing his son directly and crediting faith for his survival. Eli began laying tefillin after the attack and waited until after Shabbat to receive the official notification of Idan’s body return.
One of Eli’s most vivid memories is a conversation with Idan shortly before the attack, when Idan said, “Dad, I’m going to fix the world.” Now, Eli sees fulfilling that dream as his mission. He announced his candidacy in the Likud primaries, emphasizing that his goal is not a political career but to continue Idan’s path and serve the people of Israel. "If they don’t let me in through the door, I’ll come in through the window," he said, underscoring his commitment to this cause.
