Israeli mother obtains court permission to use deceased son's sperm for a child

Sharon Eizenkot's home is filled with reminders of her son Maor, who died in 2023 while serving in Gaza when an explosive device struck his position in Khan Younis. Soldiers informed her of a 72-hour period during which tissue could be taken from his testicles to extract viable sperm. She agreed and subsequently sought a court order permitting a woman she chose to be inseminated with the sample, arguing that Maor had expressed a desire for children.

The court, relying on oral testimony of his wish, granted the first post-Hamas-attack approval for such a procedure. Israel now has four hospitals preserving frozen semen from about 250 soldiers, a quarter of the fatalities since 2023, as the practice becomes increasingly institutionalized under state funding and Ministry of Health oversight.