Israel's Health Ministry announced Thursday it is revoking the licenses of two former staff members involved in a critical embryo transfer error at Assuta Medical Center in Rishon Lezion — a case that led to the birth of a child, Sofia, who is genetically unrelated to the woman who carried and gave birth to her.
Dr. Pavel Itzikson, who served as director of the hospital’s IVF laboratory, will permanently lose his lab management license, while embryologist Yevgeny Yakoblev has had his professional certification revoked for two years. Neither currently works at Assuta.
The incident, which came to light three years ago, began when genetic testing revealed that an embryo transferred during a fertility procedure did not belong to the couple receiving treatment. The mistake exposed grave failures in lab protocol and management, ultimately leading to the birth of Sofia, who was raised by the woman who gave birth to her. After a protracted legal battle, the courts ruled that Sofia would remain with the couple who raised her from birth.
In response to the ministry’s decision, Sofia’s legal parents stated: “Finally, a worthy decision from the Health Ministry. Revoking the licenses of the embryologists involved is the beginning of a new order. We hope this leads to stricter oversight and enforcement of procedures. We lost countless nights of sleep. In a proper country, there is accountability — and someone must pay the price. Even if this decision is late, it is an important step toward justice. We expect those at the top to take responsibility — it is clear others were involved in this serious failure that changed our lives forever. We hope this move serves as a warning to prevent other families from enduring what we did, and that the system will learn, supervise, and protect every parent, every embryo, and every unborn child.”
'They willfully closed their eyes'
Attorney Galit Karner, representing the couple, said: “The material in our hands shows the entire system must take responsibility, especially those at the top overseeing operations. They were aware of the risk years before Sofia’s birth and chose to look the other way. For that, significant punitive damages should be imposed in addition to the Health Ministry’s actions.”
The Health Ministry said it is continuing to review Assuta’s handling of the incident, especially regarding administrative practices. It cited “repeated deviations from standard protocols, indicating managerial failures that enabled the grave error,” as justification for revoking Itzikson’s lab license
A committee review found the lab’s work environment did not match the volume of its activities. There were persistent failures in identifying patients, enforcing embryology protocols, and maintaining proper medical documentation. The lab director, the report stated, “lacked the professional competence expected of someone in his position and failed to act as required, contributing significantly to the incident.”
The investigation, led by Professor Ami Fishman, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, concluded two years ago that a “chain of alleged errors points to extremely severe conduct by all involved, both operationally and administratively.
The committee further stressed that the failures were not limited to one staff member, writing: “These protocol breaches were not isolated, and it would be a grave mistake to attribute the error solely to one employee and ignore the broader systemic contribution.”
Severe breach of protocol
The embryologist’s license was suspended for two years due to “negligence and irresponsibility that led to the incident.” The report revealed that two separate violations occurred: first, transferring embryos to the wrong patient due to pre-preparation for another; second, transferring incorrect embryos to a second patient even though, by that point, the mistake should have been apparent.
Both staff members have the right to appeal the Health Ministry’s decision to the health minister within 30 days. The ministry has said it will release their names at the end of the process.
“The Health Ministry will continue to act decisively to ensure patient safety and uphold public trust in the health system,” it said.
Assuta has since replaced the entire leadership at its Rishon Lezion hospital, including its medical director and head of medical services.
Legal saga comes to an end
In November 2023, the family court initially ruled that Sofia should be transferred to her biological parents. Two days later, the couple who raised her appealed, and the Central District Court decided she would remain with them. Sofia’s biological parents then appealed to the Supreme Court.
Four months ago, the Supreme Court denied their request for an additional hearing, definitively ruling that the couple who raised Sofia since birth would be recognized as her legal parents. The decision, backed by a majority of justices, brought the years-long legal and ethical saga to a close.