From the Liveblog of
Friday, October 17, 2025
Cabinet set to vote on changing name of Gaza war to ‘War of Revival’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
The cabinet will vote on Sunday to officially rename the war against Hamas and Iran’s proxies to “War of Revival.”
The proposal, brought forward by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, would replace the current name, “Swords of Iron,” which was announced by the Israel Defense Forces on the day of the Hamas onslaught on October 7, 2023, shortly after the premier’s declaration that Israel was at war.
Netanyahu first suggested the name “War of Revival” a year ago at a cabinet meeting to mark the first anniversary of the start of the conflict, saying, “This is the war of our existence — the ‘War of Revival.'”
Critics have suggested the government’s proposed name is part of attempts to evade responsibility for any of the failures ahead of October 7, 2023, and on the day itself.
Despite its formal name, many in Israel refer to the conflict as the “October 7 war.”
The Times of Israel Community.