Marking the first anniversary of fighting that began on October 7, 2023, dubbed “Swords of Iron,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a new name for the current war with Hamas and Iranian proxies: the “War of Revival.” He did this during a special Cabinet meeting.
Netanyahu views the new name as one that best describes the war between Israel and Hamas. “This is the war of our existence — the ‘War of Revival,'” he declared, weighing his desire to recognize the change-of-name proposal formally.
But the proposition seems to be in opposition in the cabinet itself. Some ministers- including Gideon Sa’ar and Amichai Chikli-felt that the new name too closely resembles the Hebrew designation for the 1948 War of Independence. Opposition leader Yair Lapid also criticized the plan:
“There will be no revival until all the abducted and displaced people go back to their homes.” He added: “Changing names will not change the reality that the worst disaster since the country’s establishment occurred under your watch. This government is not the government of revival; it is the government of guilt.”
The conflict started on October 7, 2023, after a destructive Hamas attack killed 1,200 and kidnapped more than 250 people. Israel subsequently issued a military operation to end Hamas’ rule in Gaza and alleviate threats into the future. The latest figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza put the number of Palestinians killed in the ongoing military operations at at least 41,870, the overwhelming majority of whom are civilians. The United Nations has verified these figures as accurate.
