Magen David Adom honors the memory of Ronen Engel, a volunteer EMT from Kibbutz Nir Oz, who was killed during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. Engel’s body was taken to Gaza and was just returned from Hamas captivity. He was buried in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
In the days before he was murdered and his body was abducted, Engel, 54, was nearing completion of his training as an MDA ambulance driver.
On the morning of October 7, Engel ran out of his family’s house to save his fellow kibbutz-members’ lives carrying with him his MDA first responder medical kit. The bag, which bore his name, contained lifesaving medical equipment and was later found in the kibbutz after his body was kidnapped to Gaza.
His wife, Karina, and daughters, Mika and Yuval, were also kidnapped to Gaza on October 7, and were later released as part of a hostage deal.
“Ronen was a beloved, skilled, and dedicated volunteer who saved lives and helped everyone around him,” remarked Eli Bin, director-general of MDA. “Even that day, he left his home as an MDA EMT with his medical first aid kit, intending to fight terrorists and save lives, and he fell in the course of that mission. With the return of Ronen’s body to Israel, we send our deepest condolences to his family and embrace them. His legacy of saving lives will never be forgotten.”
