(NewsNation) — Idan Shtivi was working as a photographer at the Tribe of Nova music festival when hundreds of Hamas militants swarmed the crowds spraying gunfire. His family is now praying for his safe return with no idea whether he was killed or taken hostage.
“It’s very, very hard. A lot of waves of sadness. We don’t know any information about it. And about what happening within here. Nothing,” said Idan’s brother Omri Shtivi.
Omri joined “NewsNation Prime” to share his brother’s story, saying his family believes Idan had been trying to help strangers around him when the gunfire began.
“This is the kind of person he was. The man who was thinking about others before himself,” Omri said. “He took responsibility for someone. Not his best friend, but I know the man couldn’t drive. From this moment, we know that the guy that was sitting next to him is dead because his family got the message from the army, and the girl that he picked was also murdered.”
Omri pointed out that many families are in the same position as his, with little to no information about their missing loved ones.
“Like me, many, many families, hundreds of families that don’t know and are worried about this situation. As a citizen, I don’t know anything about what the army is going to do,” Omri told NewsNation.
Despite all the uncertainty, Omri believes he will reunite with his brother again.
“I would say be strong, stay safe. And I truly believe that we will see him soon. I truly believe that this situation will be okay at the end. And I believe that people will be back to their families,” Omri said.