October 7 · Personal story
Ronen Engel
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Kibbutz Nir Oz
Current outcome
Returned for burial · October 18, 2025
Ronen was killed on October 7, 2023. His body was returned on October 18, 2025; his family was notified after identification on October 19, and he was buried in Nir Oz on October 21.
01
Life before October 7
Ronen was born and raised in Tel Aviv and moved with his family to Kibbutz Nir Oz in August 2010, among the last families accepted as members. He worked as a water technician and had been a professional photographer and photojournalist for Haaretz and Israel Hayom; the kibbutz said he photographed nearly every social gathering. He also loved motorcycles and dogs, worked in the kibbutz chicken coop, and volunteered as a Magen David Adom medic. When he restored old furniture, he made distinctive pieces from it. In the period before his death he was nearing completion of ambulance-driver training, hoping to serve more people in the area.
02
October 7
Saturday mornings usually began with Ronen and Karina taking their two dogs for a walk; on October 7, Karina asked him to walk them. After the first alarms, Ronen called Magen David Adom’s regional coordinator and offered help. He was told to stay home because he lacked a protective vest and helmet. From a window overlooking the kibbutz bypass road, he saw armed men on motorcycles and warned residents through the kibbutz messaging app. When attackers reached the family home, he stayed outside the safe room with his weapon while Karina and their daughters hid inside. He fought the attackers and was killed. Karina, Mika, and Yuval were abducted; their son Tom was away with his army unit.
03
After October 7
Ronen was killed on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken to Gaza. Karina, Mika, and Yuval were released on November 27. On December 1, the family was told that Ronen had been killed and his body was being held in Gaza. They sat shiva near the hospital where Yuval was receiving treatment, without a funeral.
04
Return and burial
Ronen’s body was returned to Israel on October 18, 2025. Three days later, his family and community buried him in Nir Oz, the place where he had built his adult life and served neighbors as a medic. The burial brought his remains home after two years without a funeral.
05
The life he shared
At the funeral, Karina called Ronen “the heart of our home” and remembered his humor and optimism. His colleagues at Magen David Adom recalled that he could make patients smile even after serious accidents; friends described a photographer and motorcyclist whose smile stayed with him. The kibbutz also remembered his care for animals and the people around him. These accounts return to the same parts of his daily life: making things with his hands, answering a call for help, and making others feel at ease.