Ronen Engel, 54: Photographer, dad who was ‘always smiling’

Ronen Engel, 54, was killed by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 after he set out to try and help others as a volunteer medic.

On the same day, his wife Karina and their daughters Mika and Yuval were kidnapped from the kibbutz.

On November 27, Karina, Mika and Yuval were freed from Gaza. On December 1, the IDF confirmed that Ronen had been killed and his body was being held in captivity.

The family sat shiva in a hotel near the Ichilov Hospital, where Yuval was still being treated after her release, but a funeral was not held.

On October 18, 2025, Ronen’s body was returned to Israel by Hamas. His funeral was held on October 21 in Nir Oz.

In addition to his wife and two daughters, Ronen is survived by his son, Tom, who was not home that weekend, and his brother, Dani.

A statement from Kibbutz Nir Oz said Engel was a photographer, volunteer in Magen David Adom and loved motorcycles.

“He was a professional photojournalist for Haaretz and Israel Hayom, and photographed almost every event and social activity in Nir Oz,” the kibbutz said in a statement. “Even when he was restoring furniture in the kibbutz, it was possible to see how artistic he was, as he built impressive and unique woodworking pieces.”

The kibbutz also said that Ronen “had a deep connection to nature and animals, especially dogs, and he worked in the kibbutz chicken coop. He was also a talented and beloved volunteer at Magen David Adom as an emergency medical responder, and in the period before his death, he was close to completing his training as an ambulance driver, a role he aspired to fill in Nir Oz to help as many people in the area as possible and continue saving lives.”

MDA said in a statement that Ronen began volunteering with them around two years ago, and left his house on that Saturday morning with his first responder bag to try and help others.

Yossi Abuharon, the volunteer manager of 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.”

His friend Idan Greenberg wrote that “every minute spent with [Ronen] put a smile on all of those around him. Since October 7 we waited and hoped for his return… we will miss you always.”

His friend Benny described him on Facebook as “my dear friend, a funny man with a smile which never left his face, a talented photographer, motorbike rider, a friend of 30 years, and of late an Israeli hero.”

His brother Dani wrote: “My brother was truly a hero. Ronen fought for the lives of Karina, Mika and Yuval, and that doesn’t surprise anyone. We all know who Ronen was… he always looked on the bright side of life.”

At his funeral, two years after he was killed, Karina said her husband was “the heart of our home — the one who knew how to make us laugh even on the hardest days, with your endless humor and optimism. You were always smiling, always with a witty line that made everyone turn to look at you and ask, ‘Is he serious?’ — and then hear you say, ‘I’m crazy, but I’m optimistic.’”

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