AbstractTwo new integral operators are defined in this paper using the classical Bernardi and Libera integral operators and the confluent (or Kummer) hypergeometric function. It is proved that the new operators preserve certain classes of univalent functions, such as classes of starlike and convex functions, and that they extend starlikeness of order $\frac{1}{2}$
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and convexity of order $\frac{1}{2}$
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to starlikeness and convexity, respectively. For obtaining the original results, the method of admissible functions is used, and the results are also written as differential inequalities and interpreted using inclusion properties for certain subsets of the complex plane. The example provided shows an application of the original results.