Israeli woman gives birth using late fiancé’s sperm, making history

In a story of grief, love, and determination, Hadas Levy became the first woman in Israel to give birth to a child conceived using sperm retrieved from her fiancé after he was killed in the Israel-Gaza war.

Hadas’ fiancé, Netanel Silberg, was called into reserve duty on October 7, 2023, following Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel. Just two months later, he was killed in northern Gaza. 

In the aftermath of his death, Hadas, a doctor herself, pursued posthumous sperm retrieval (PSR)—a process performed within 24 to 36 hours after death to preserve viable sperm.

“I think he would have been very happy,” Hadas told correspondent Natasha Kirtchuk, holding her newborn son. “He would have been a great dad, and it’s sad that he didn’t have time to do it.”

The procedure was not simple. Only nine of Netanel’s sperm cells were viable, and because Hadas was not married to him, she needed court approval to proceed with in vitro fertilization (IVF). After more than a year of legal and medical hurdles, she gave birth to her son on June 11, 2025.

“This was the only thing that could take me out of my bed,” Hadas said. “It was how I was grieving. People said, ‘How are you raising an orphan?’ But my child has a father.”

Hadas’ home is now filled with the presence of her newborn, who lives in the same community where she and Netanel had built a life together. “I had to feel like this is me and Netanel’s home, not mine alone,” she said. “Even though I’m a single mother, he has a father and I have a partner. It felt like the right decision.”

She describes her son as a living connection to Netanel: “The minute I saw him, I thought, ‘Wow, he looks so much like Nathanel.’ Same nose, same ears, same face shape, same hairline. I loved it. It was perfect.”

Despite her joy, Hadas acknowledges the complexity of her loss. “There’s nothing that can fill this void,” she said. “I wasn’t happy after Netanel died. I thought I would never be happy. Now, I love my life, I love my child, I love everything. I can’t have everything, because everything would be me, Netanel, and him. This is as much of my dream as I can have.”

Since October 2023, more than 270 Israeli men have undergone posthumous sperm retrieval at the request of partners or families—a practice that has become increasingly common amid the ongoing conflict. Hadas’ case is historic because she is the first woman in Israel to successfully carry a child conceived this way.

Her story, she says, is about more than science or law—it’s about preserving love, memory, and the future of a child whose father fell in service to his country.