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Israeli Government to Discuss Formally Changing Country’s Name for Gaza War
Israeli soldiers inspect the entrance to what they say is a tunnel used by Hamas terrorists during a ground operation in a location given as Gaza, in this handout image released Nov. 9, 2023. Photo: Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS
Israel’s Government Naming Committee is set to meet next week to discuss formally changing the name of the country’s war against Hamas in Gaza — currently called “Swords of Iron” — to one of three new choices, according to Israeli media reports.
The three names to be discussed are “Genesis War,” “Simchat Torah War,” and “War of the Winds.”
The discussion comes after Hebrew media reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unsatisfied with the current war name because it was too similar to names generally associated with recent military operations — such as Breaking Dawn and Pillar of Defense — but insufficient for a full-scale war.
The meeting is set to be attended by representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Public Information Ministry, the National Security Ministry, the National Security Council, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The three potential new names all relate to the date on which the war broke out — Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists rampaged across southern Israel, murdering 1,200 people and kidnapping 240 others as hostages.
Oct. 7 was the date of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, the day that commemorates the conclusion of the weekly Torah readings and the beginning of the new cycle, which begins with the Book of Genesis.
As for “War of the Winds,” that is also related to the holiday, as Simchat Torah marks the time when observant Jews change aspects of their daily prayer, including asking for “wind and rain.”
Another name that has been considered, according to reports, is “Gaza War.” This name, apparently favored by Netanyahu at one point, was met with opposition, particularly from Health Minister Uriel Buso, who reportedly said, “Prime Minister, don’t forget that you live on Gaza Street.” This was in reference to the fact that Netanyahu does in fact live on a road named Gaza Street in the center of Jerusalem.
According to reports, Genesis War is the current top choice of the prime minister, who says it also sounds good in English.
Many Israelis, particularly religious ones, have already been referring to the conflict as the Simchat Torah War since its outbreak.
The post Israeli Government to Discuss Formally Changing Country’s Name for Gaza War first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Kurdish-led SDF Say Five Members Killed During Attack by Islamic State in Syria
Islamic State slogans painted along the walls of the tunnel was used by Islamic State militants as an underground training camp in the hillside overlooking Mosul, Iraq, March 4, 2017. Photo: via Reuters Connect.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said on Sunday that five of its members had been killed during an attack by Islamic State militants on a checkpoint in eastern Syria’s Deir el-Zor on July 31.
The SDF was the main fighting force allied to the United States in Syria during fighting that defeated Islamic State in 2019 after the group declared a caliphate across swathes of Syria and Iraq.
The Islamic State has been trying to stage a comeback in the Middle East, the West and Asia. Deir el-Zor city was captured by Islamic State in 2014, but the Syrian army retook it in 2017.
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Armed Groups Attack Security Force Personnel in Syria’s Sweida, Killing One, State TV Reports
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Armed groups attacked personnel from Syria’s internal security forces in Sweida, killing one member and wounding others, and fired shells at several villages in the violence-hit southern province, state-run Ekhbariya TV reported on Sunday.
The report cited a security source as saying the armed groups had violated the ceasefire agreed in the predominantly Druze region, where factional bloodshed killed hundreds of people last month.
Violence in Sweida erupted on July 13 between tribal fighters and Druze factions. Government forces were sent to quell the fighting, but the bloodshed worsened, and Israel carried out strikes on Syrian troops in the name of the Druze.
The Druze are a minority offshoot of Islam with followers in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Sweida province is predominantly Druze but is also home to Sunni tribes, and the communities have had long-standing tensions over land and other resources.
A US-brokered truce ended the fighting, which had raged in Sweida city and surrounding towns for nearly a week. Syria said it would investigate the clashes, setting up a committee to investigate the attacks.
The Sweida bloodshed last month was a major test for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, after a wave of sectarian violence in March that killed hundreds of Alawite citizens in the coastal region.
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Netanyahu Urges Red Cross to Aid Gaza Hostages
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference, in Jerusalem, May 21, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he spoke with the International Red Cross’s regional head, Julien Lerisson, and requested his involvement in providing food and medical care to hostages held in Gaza.