On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists attacking Kibbutz Nir Oz took Ronen, HY”D, 54, Karina, 51, Mika, 18, and Yuval, 11, Engel hostage, among many others. The Engels had been hiding in the sealed room of their home. After 52 days in captivity, on Nov. 27, 2023, Karina, Mika and Yuval were released. On Dec. 1, 2023, the IDF confirmed that Ronen had been killed in captivity. His body is still being held in Gaza. The family sat shiva, but did not have a funeral.

Ronen was a volunteer for Magen David Adom (MDA) and loved motorcycles. He worked in the kibbutz, managing the chicken coop and restoring furniture. Yossi Abuharon, who manages the volunteer effort at the Ofakim MDA station, said that Ronen “was always smiling, that was his hallmark. Even when we arrived at the worst of accidents, he managed to make his patients smile and forget their troubles for a moment.”

In addition to his wife and daughters, Ronen is survived by his son, Tom, who was not home that weekend, along with siblings and other relatives.