section_path: Names
section_name: Names
paragraph_text: Names
  
  The Gaza war is referred to by different names. Israel calls it the "iron swords war" (Hebrew: מלחמת חרבות ברזל). It has also been referred to as the "Simchat Torah war", as the war started on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, reminiscent of the Yom Kippur War. Palestinian militant groups refer to it as the "battle of al-Aqsa Flood" (Arabic: معركة طوفان الأقصى), in reference to Operation al-Aqsa Flood. Western media outlets have variably described it as the "Israel–Hamas war" while others use "war on Gaza". Others have used the term "October 7 war". Some have rejected "war" as an adequate framework and call it the " Gaza genocide ", "second Nakba ", or "Nakba 2023".