Israeli army vows to continue ‘mowing the lawn’ in the occupied West Bank

Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the military's ongoing major assault in the occupied West Bank, which has resulted in at least 39 Palestinian deaths, is part of a strategy he referred to as “mowing the lawn”.

The term “mowing the lawn” is commonly used by Israeli generals to describe their periodic large-scale military operations against Palestinians, involving soldiers, tanks, artillery, naval forces, and aircraft to cause extensive damage to infrastructure and civilian areas.

Gallant noted that while the current focus is on countering “the rise of terror,” a more comprehensive strategy to “pull out the roots” will eventually be required.

The International Criminal Court is pursuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for potential war crimes in Gaza.

Speaking to senior military officers on Wednesday, Gallant claimed that “the process involves an attack to prevent terror. We are mowing the lawn now, but eventually, we will need to pull out the roots,” he said.

He also noted that there is “no other option” but to deploy “all the forces, everyone who is needed, with full strength.”