Remains of two further hostages returned to Israel after 744 days
Bodies formally identified as Ronel Engel, 54, a photographer and MDA volunteer and 30-year-old Thai farm worker Sonthaya Akrasri
The bodies of two more hostages have been returned to Israel.
Ronen Engel, a photographer and volunteer ambulance driver for Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom, and Sonthaya Akrasri (Oakkharasri) a Thai agricultural worker, were both murdered on 7 October and their bodies taken to the Gaza Strip.
They are the 11th and 12th of 28 dead hostages to be returned under the ceasefire deal. The remains were received by IDF and Shin Bet operatives in a formal military ceremony attended by the chief military rabbi.
Thirty-year-old Akrasri was living at Kibbutz Be’eri; his family received official notification of his death on 17 May 2024.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum posted on Twitter/X: “Sontaya was a father to a seven-year-old daughter and dreamed of returning home to build an agricultural farm in Thailand.
“He worked for eight years as an agricultural labourer in Israeli kibbutzim—first in the north, and later in Be’eri. Sontaya was a quiet man, dedicated to his work, yet he maintained daily contact with his mother, Amorn, and his young daughter, Kaimuk. His work contract in Israel was due to end in October 2023, and he had already planned his return to Thailand. Sonthaya Oukarsri, of blessed memory, was among the dozens of foreign workers murdered in the terror attack on Kibbutz Be’eri.”
Ronen Engel was 54 when he was murdered and kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz when he protected his family on the morning of October 7. His wife Karina and his daughters Mika and Yuval were abducted and released after 52 days.
Ronen Engel’s daughter, Mika, wrote on Instagram: “It’s not what we hoped, it’s not what we wished for him, but it’s finally here.”
In a statement, the family said: “After 744 days of longing, doubts, and uncertainty – our beloved Ronen has returned home, to the land of Nir Oz that he so dearly loved. Now we can begin the healing process that we so desperately need and have waited for. Now we will have a grave to weep over. Our circle is not yet closed.
“It will only close when Tamir, Arie, and Amiram from Nir Oz return for a proper burial, along with all the hostages still there. Thank you to everyone who has been there for us over the past two years. Thank you to the Nir Oz community, the Hostages Families Forum, and the administration. Thank you also to the security forces who did everything to bring our loved ones back to us.”
Magen David Adom said: “The Magen David Adom family mourns our beloved volunteer, Ronen Engel, may his memory be blessed, whose body was returned from Hamas captivity last night.
“Ronen, 54 years old, always smiling and dedicated, was a father of three and husband to Karina. On October 7, he was shot while rushing out to save lives and help the many wounded in his kibbutz, Nir Oz, and was kidnapped to Gaza. His first-aid responder bag was found abandoned in the kibbutz. It was later confirmed that he had been murdered.
“Now, more than two years later, we embrace his family, who will forever be part of ours, and prepare to lay him to rest in the land he loved. His legacy, saving lives, devotion, and commitment, will forever be our guiding light.”
16 bodies of dead captives remain held in the Gaza Strip.
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