Rewind and Reconnoiter: Israel and the Demise of “Mowing the Grass” with T.X. Hammes

In 2014, T.X. Hammes wrote “Israel and the Demise of ‘Mowing the Grass‘” for War on the Rocks, in which he wrote that Israel’s practice of “mowing the grass,” in which they routinely “conduct a major operation[s] to reduce Hamas’ capabilities” could cost Israel in terms of international support and its own military casualties. In light of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Israel’s subsequent air campaign and, now, the ground campaign in Gaza, we asked T.X. to look back on his article. Read more below. Image via Sgt. Shay Wagner, IDF Spokesperson’s Unit In 2014, you wrote an