Last summer's conflict in Lebanon will officially be called The Second War in Lebanon, according to a decision reached Wednesday by the committees appointed to choose a name for the fighting.

The name was chosen by Ministers Ya'akov Edrey and Eitan Cabel and attorney David Libai.

The Ministerial Committee on Symbols and Ceremonies, which is headed by Edrey, decided Monday that the conflict should officially be called a war.

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The ministerial panel made its decision in accordance with a second panel created to choose the name, which was appointed by Defense Minister Amir Peretz and headed by Libai. The second committee was formed in parallel to Edrey's committee, which is subordinate to the decisions of the cabinet.

Until now, state representatives have avoided calling the battles against Hezbollah a war, and have used words such as operation, campaign, or fighting.

The reason for the disagreement is that the government never officially declared war. The government decision on July 12 determined only that Israel would respond in a "resolute and harsh manner" against Hezbollah, without going into detail on the nature of the fighting

However, after pressure from bereaved parents, Edrey proposed defining the conflict as a war.

The decision on the name, which was expected to be reached during the meeting on Monday, had been postponed due to the opposition of legal advisers over the proposal "The Second War in Lebanon," since the first conflict in Lebanon was actually defined as an operation.

Other proposals for the war's official name included "Peace in the North" and "Northern Shield War."