The three were released in late November 2023 after 52 days in captivity as part of the first hostage deal. Four days later, the family was informed that Ronen had been murdered in Hamas captivity.
A volunteer photographer for Magen David Adom and a motorcycle enthusiast, Engel was known among friends for the motto tattooed on his arm: “Always look on the bright side of life.”
His home in Nir Oz was destroyed in the attack. His eldest son, Tom, an IDF soldier who was away on base that day and the only family member not taken hostage, returned to find the house riddled with bullet holes. Ronen’s brother, Danny, later recalled his final WhatsApp exchange with him that morning, in which Ronen wrote briefly, “We’re hiding in the shelter.”
Last month, Karina told ynet: “In what world does a 12-year-old girl wish for her father to be returned for burial?” On Sunday—744 days after the October 7 massacre—Karina and her daughters will finally be able to lay him to rest.
First published: 10:18, 10.19.25
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