"mowing the grass" in Nablus

What do you do for 21 hours, trapped in one room - 28 people, including children and babies? How do you pass the time? How do you calm down crying and frightened children? How do you care for an ailing grandmother? You can't turn on the light, or the television, or talk. Armed soldiers guard the doorway and they've confiscated all the cellular phones. You can go out to the bathroom, but only after receiving permission. (...)
Why was it necessary to imprison six innocent families this way? (...)
On the radio I heard the explanation: "We have to 'mow the grass.'" This was the picturesque description offered by military sources for the IDF's activity in Nablus. This is why the army enters the city almost every night, carrying out broad-scale operations every few weeks, like the one last week.

(l'articolo completo di Gideon Levy, è pubblicato su Haaretz)

*"mowing the grass" significa "falciare l'erba" ...