Slain Hostage's Family Welcomes New Son Born From 25-Year-Old Frozen Embryo

The family of Almog Sarusi, a hostage murdered by Hamas in Gaza, has welcomed the birth of his younger brother, Lavi. Lavi was born from an embryo that was frozen 25 years ago by Almog's parents, Nira and Yigal Sarusi, before Almog himself was born. The family described the birth as a miracle, occurring on Yom Kippur, and a source of hope amidst their profound grief.

Almog Sarusi, 27, was abducted from the Supernova music festival on October 7 and held captive for nearly a year before being murdered in a Hamas tunnel in Gaza alongside five other hostages. His sister, Amit, shared her emotions on Instagram, expressing the enduring pain of his loss while celebrating the new life. She wrote that Almog must have "moved things upstairs" for the birth to happen, allowing him to have a brother who would grow up knowing his heroic older sibling.

The birth is the culmination of a long and complex journey. The Sarusi parents had frozen embryos two decades ago as part of a medical procedure. Years later, amidst the pain of Almog's abduction and murder, they recalled the frozen embryos. They located them and, after extensive family discussions, decided to pursue having another child. A surrogate mother agreed to carry the pregnancy.

Initial attempts to create a viable embryo were unsuccessful. However, in what was described as a "last chance" attempt, an embryo was successfully created and implanted. The family kept the pregnancy a secret until the brit milah (circumcision ceremony) for baby Lavi, which took place on Monday. The ceremony was filled with emotion, combining immense sorrow for Almog with the joy of Lavi's arrival.

Ra'anana Mayor Chaim Broyde, who attended the brit, called the story "unbelievable reality exceeding all imagination." He noted that Almog's body, along with those of the other five hostages, was recovered from a tunnel in Rafah in late August 2024. An IDF investigation indicated they were shot to death by Hamas terrorists about a day before Israeli forces reached the tunnel, with their bodies showing signs of neglect and prior injuries.