Itay Svirsky, ‘quintessential uncle,’ declared dead 102 days after taken hostage

Itay Svirsky, 38, was declared dead on January 16, 2024. This is the story of his capture:

Itay Svirsky, 38, was visiting his parents, Orit Svirsky and Rafi Svirsky, in their Kibbutz Be’eri homes for the holiday weekend, when Hamas terrorists launched a massacre in the community.

Itay was with his mother in the sealed room of her house. She lived next door to her ex-husband, Rafi, Itay’s father.

Itay, who was single and lived in Tel Aviv, was known as the quintessential “uncle” to his nieces and nephews and his friends’ children. He was the only one of his parents’ four children in Be’eri at the time.

Their family’s last communication with Itay and his mother was around 10 a.m.

The bodies of Itay’s parents, Orit and Rafi, were later found. They were buried on October 20.

Itay, who grew up in Be’eri, was known as a quiet, modest and dedicated man.