ALBAWABA - Israel officially changed the name of its war in the Gaza Strip from "Operation Swords of Iron" to "Operation Renaissance." This has led to rumors about the government's intentions and the future of its military operations.
Channel 12 News in Israel says that the move shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's desire to expand Israel's military goals beyond Gaza. This could be a sign that Israel is getting ready for bigger conflicts in the region.
Avichai Boron, a Likud Knesset member, said that the name change marks the start of a new phase in Israel's military strategy:
"The name Swords of Iron said everything about the war in Gaza." As things went on, though, it became clear that we had to fight all of our enemies, he said.
Boron also said that Israel wants to show that it is strong and "restore confidence" after the events of October 7. He said that the new title is part of a story about a national revival.
Approval of the Cabinet and a Political Divide
During its meeting on Sunday morning, the Israeli government agreed to the change. Most of the ministers voted in favor of the move, but Orit Strock, the minister of religious Zionism, voted against it, and Amichai Shikli, the minister of Likud, did not vote.
It was claimed that Israeli strikes in Rafah killed one soldier and damaged military engineering equipment at the same time as the announcement. Some analysts see this as going against the meaning of the new name, which is "rebirth."
Netanyahu's View: From Tragedy to "National Renaissance"
When he presented the idea, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the new name would show how Israel has recovered and grown since the October 7 attacks:
"We remember how it all started after two years of fighting nonstop." It took guts for us to rise from the disaster of October 7, push back our enemies, and start a national renaissance in our strong and wealthy state, he said.
Analysts ask what the goals are.
Some critics and experts say that the change from "Swords of Iron" to "Renaissance" is more than just a symbol. They think it means that Israel wants to expand the war to include Hezbollah in Lebanon or Iranian agents in other places.
Many people think that the change shows how Israel is changing the way it talks about its military. Instead of a long war, they are calling it a "rebirth" effort that they hope will bring people together and explain why they need to keep operating in Gaza and other places.
