The Family Court in Beersheba on Friday approved Iris Haim to have a child using the sperm of her son, Yotam Haim, who was abducted by Hamas during the October 7 massacre and mistakenly killed by IDF gunfire while attempting to escape captivity.
Iris submitted the request several months ago - and argued that Yotam “saw bringing children into the world as the fulfillment of a significant personal dream and in the last years of his life spoke openly about his strong desire to become a father” before his death.
It was also claimed that “even when one of his brothers previously declared that he did not want children, Yotam would tell his parents: ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be the one to bring you grandchildren.’”
Iris further wrote in the request that “Yotam’s aspiration for parenthood was not merely theoretical, but a real and tangible desire that accompanied him and was expressed by him to his family members and close ones.”
“Yotam expressed his desire to bring children into the world and for continuity not only in relation to his lifetime but also regarding the period after his death.”
According to the family, “Yotam spoke about this with his father in the last year of his life and expressed to him his wish that even if he were to die, he would want continuity through a child born from his sperm.”
Additional affidavits from witnesses, friends, and family members were submitted to the court.
In the affidavit of one of Yotam’s friends, whom he defined as a “soulmate friend,” a message was presented in which Yotam wrote to her: “You’ll be the cool aunt of my children, whether you like it or not, dear.”
According to her, Yotam and she agreed “that if the dream of starting a family for each of them did not succeed, they would do it together through co-parenting.”
Yotam's accidental death
Yotam Haim was killed in the shooting incident in Gaza, during which an IDF force mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat. The Israeli troops opened fire on them, and they were killed.
The hostages who were mistakenly killed in the incident, alongside Yotam Haim, were Alon Shamriz, who was abducted from Kfar Aza, and Samer Talalka from Hura, who was abducted from Nir Am.
Last December, during the memorial for her son Yotam, Iris said: “Yotam, beloved child, a child of purity and gold, complete goodness. You came into the world through suffering and hardship, you had a message to convey to the world - that from difficulties one can always continue, and that life is good.”
“You had dialogues with the angel of death, but you did not give up; even in captivity, you knew you would return home. I feel you all the time. From the moment you left, we received messages from people about how you influenced them. You are present in my life all the time,” Iris continued.
“I always worried you would break - I didn’t truly understand your strength; now I understand your immense power. There is not a day that you are not my central focus. In dreams, you tell me that you are alive. On the day you left, you left us with a chance for a grandchild - we hope that next year we will stand here with a redheaded grandson. If I had one wish, it would be that you return to me alive.”