Judge Ariel Maman wrote that he was convinced that 'Yotam's presumed wish was for his sperm to be used to bring children into the world, even after his death,' citing conversations with the parents and statements about 'preventing the extinction of his red hair'
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Judge Ariel Maman wrote that he was convinced that 'Yotam's presumed wish was for his sperm to be used to bring children into the world, even after his death,' citing conversations with the parents and statements about 'preventing the extinction of his red hair'
05:25 AM • April 11 2026 IDT
An Israeli family court has allowed the parents of Yotam Haim, who was mistakenly killed by Israeli troops after escaping Hamas captivity, to use his sperm posthumously for in vitro fertilization, citing his presumed wish to have children even after his death.
Judge Ariel Maman wrote that he was convinced that "Yotam's presumed wish was for his sperm to be used to bring children into the world, even after his death."
Maman also wrote that the parents' testimonies regarding conversations with their son on the matter were among the things that influenced his decision.
The man, 28-year-old Yotan Haim from Kibbutz Kfar Azza, was killed in December 2023 alongside Samer Fuad El-Talalka, 24, from Hura, who was abducted from his workplace in Nir Am, and Alon Shamriz, 26, also from Kibbutz Kfar Azza.
A group of IDF soldiers fatally shot the three in Gaza's Shejaiya neighborhood 65 days after their abduction on October 7, 2023.
In a statement released after the fatal shooting, the Israeli army said soldiers mistakenly identified the three as a threat, with then-IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari saying it was a "tragic error" that the IDF will "investigate fully."
"It should be emphasized that the testimony of Yotam's parents regarding in-depth conversations with him, even on matters related to death, aligns well with the family's life circumstances," he wrote.
Yotam's mother, Iris, works in palliative medicine, according to the document.
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Maman also said the slain hostage was single and had no long-term partner at the time of his abduction on October 7, 2023, but noted that he believed "Yotam's unequivocal desire for continuity ... was not necessarily limited to bringing a child into the world with a specific woman, but rather expressed his altruistic and existential desire for creating life and continuity."
The judge also cited Yotam's statements about "continuing his lineage," and "preventing the extinction of his red hair."
Haim's sperm was extracted shortly after he was pronounced dead, and his parents petitioned the courts to use it. The court's decision joins a series of similar recent rulings following parents' requests to use the sperm of their children – killed IDF soldiers or murder victims – even in the absence of a partner or prior written instructions.
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