The long, agonizing wait for the family of Ronen Engel, a hero and father abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, came to a heartbreaking close this morning. Forensic identification confirmed that one of two bodies handed over by Hamas overnight belongs to Engel, bringing his remains home 744 days after the October 7, 2023, massacre.
The transfer of remains was coordinated with the Red Cross early Sunday morning, followed by immediate DNA testing at Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine. The identification confirmed the worst fears of the family, providing a painful form of closure after nearly two years of uncertainty. The identification process for the second body remains underway.
A Volunteer Medic and a Family Defender
Ronen Engel, 54, a beloved resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was a passionate photographer, motorcyclist, and volunteer medic with Magen David Adom (MDA). On the morning of the attack, the father of three acted on instinct, leaving the sealed safe room where he had sheltered his wife and daughters to confront the invading Hamas terrorists.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum released a statement detailing his final, heroic moments. Engel was shot and killed while defending his community, and his body was subsequently dragged into the Gaza Strip, where Hamas held his remains.
His wife, Karina, and his two daughters, Mika (18) and Yuval (11), were kidnapped in the same attack. They were held captive for 50 days before being released in the November 2023 ceasefire exchange. However, the family's ordeal continued, as Israeli authorities informed them in December 2023 that Ronen had been killed and his body remained hostage in Gaza.
