One of the two hostages whose bodies were returned to Israel overnight was identified as Ronen Engel, 54, a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz who was murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
Hamas announced Saturday night that it would return the bodies of two hostages, without prior coordination with Israel. The bodies were transferred to the Red Cross inside Gaza and then handed over to the IDF. The identity of the second returned hostage is still being verified, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Engel, who was born and raised in Tel Aviv, moved with his family to Nir Oz in 2010. On the morning of October 7, he left his home armed with his personal weapon to defend his family and went missing soon after. His wife, Karina Engel-Bart, and their daughters Mika, 18, and Yuval, 11, were kidnapped separately and later reunited in Gaza. For nearly two months, no one knew what had happened to Ronen.
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 (Israel’s national emergency medical service) 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.
The IDF confirmed Sunday morning that “Ronen (Tommy) Engel was killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, as he tried to defend his family. His body was abducted to Gaza. Engel, 54, was declared dead on December 1, 2023. He is survived by his wife, three children and a brother.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said:
“The families embrace the Engel family, whose beloved Ronen has been returned to Israel for a proper burial. Alongside the sorrow and the knowledge that their hearts will never be whole, Ronen’s return brings a measure of comfort to a family that has lived with agonizing uncertainty for more than two years. We will not rest and we will not stop until the last hostage is brought home.”
The Prime Minister’s Office added:
“Following the completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, together with the Israel Police and the IDF Rabbinate, representatives of the IDF informed the Engel family that their loved one had been returned to Israel and identified. The identification process of the second fallen hostage continues.
The Government of Israel shares in the Engel family’s grief and that of all the families of the fallen hostages. The government and Israel’s entire system are fully committed to bringing all the hostages and fallen back for proper burial in Israel. Hamas must honor its commitments to the mediators and complete the return of all the hostages. We will not rest until the last one is home. May their memories be a blessing.”