Rise in Israeli parents retrieving sperm from dead soldier sons

The family is among a growing number who have frozen sperm since the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

Israel launched a major military operation in Gaza in response, in which more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. About 400 Israelis have also been killed in the war.

Since 7 October, sperm has been retrieved from nearly 170 young men – both civilians and soldiers – according to the Israeli health ministry. It is roughly 15 times the figure for the same period in previous years.

The process involves making an incision in the testicle and removing a small piece of tissue, from which live sperm cells can then be isolated in a lab and frozen.

Success rates for retrieving the cells are highest if it is done within 24 hours of death, though they can live for up to 72 hours.

In October, the Israeli health ministry waived a requirement for parents to obtain a court order to request the procedure. The IDF says it has become more proactive in offering it to bereaved parents in recent years.

But while it has become easier to have sperm frozen, widows or parents who want to use it in the conception of a child have to demonstrate in court that the dead man wanted to have children. The process can take years, particularly for bereaved parents.