Israel Renames Gaza Conflict 'War of Revival'

Israel's cabinet overwhelmingly voted to officially rename the Gaza conflict "The War of Revival," approving a proposal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to replace the IDF's earlier title "Swords of Iron." Netanyahu framed the name as reflecting how the country "rose from the terrible disaster of October 7" and said campaign decorations would bear the new name, suggesting the war may be nearing its conclusion. The move drew criticism as politically motivated, with critics and some hostages' families saying renaming now seeks to evade responsibility for failures before and on October 7, and opposition leader Yair Lapid urging Netanyahu to "ask for forgiveness" instead. Within the cabinet Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli abstained and Settlements and National Projects Minister Orit Strock voted against, with Chikli saying "revival" belongs to Israel's founding generation and Strock warning it was "too early" to name the outcome. Hebrew media reported Netanyahu left the meeting after militants attacked IDF troops in Rafah, underscoring that fighting continues even as the government formalized the conflict's name.