Well folks, I was supposed to be on my way to Thailand right now to cover the war there. But thankfully, that war ended before I had to board a plane—praise God for that. Not just because it spared me 24 hours of cramped flights, but because it spared countless people the devastation of another conflict. So instead, I get a few extra days here in northern Armenia with my grandbaby before Nathan and I take off on our next adventure.

But let’s get to it—the big headline today is humanitarian aid. Everywhere you look, the narrative is the same: “More aid must go to Gaza. People are starving. Israel is to blame.” That’s what the media wants you to believe.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: aid is rarely just about saving lives. Too often, it’s a weapon—used to control populations, prop up corrupt regimes, and advance political agendas.

Billions of Dollars, Decades of Aid – No Change

Global humanitarian aid tops $60 billion a year, yet places like Gaza, Haiti, Afghanistan, and much of sub-Saharan Africa remain locked in poverty and dysfunction. Why? Because aid has become an industry, not a solution.

As Graham Hancock writes in Lords of Poverty, it’s a “self-perpetuating complex” that feeds salaries, conferences, bureaucracy—and never gets judged on results. Billions pour in, but nobody asks, “Did this actually help anyone?”

Chuck is back in Armenia right now, and it is more than just another assignment. The couple featured in his documentary Armenia: A Love Story — Nathan and Rubina — are now expecting their second child. That means Chuck is about to welcome his sixth grandbaby, making this trip a deeply personal and memorable one.

To celebrate, we’re posting a special feature today. It is like an extended trailer for the full documentary and gives you a taste of the powerful story behind it.

If you are a paying supporter, you can watch the full version right now by searching Armenia: A Love Story in the content library.

If you are not a supporter yet, now is the perfect time to join and experience the full journey for yourself. This is a story of faith, resilience, and love in one of the world’s most complex regions.

Hey folks, Chuck Holton here—coming to you one last time from this balcony in Jerusalem before I head to Tel Aviv and then on to the next frontlines. But before I leave, I want to break down some of the most critical developments from the past week in Gaza and beyond. And believe me, there's a lot to unpack.

Three Roads for Israel

Let’s talk strategy. An analysis in Israel Hayom outlines three main options Israel faces in Gaza:

1. Conquer Gaza: Full military occupation, boots on the ground, control every inch. But that comes at a high cost—thousands of IDF troops deployed indefinitely.

2. Besiege Gaza: Maintain pressure without full occupation. This could include arming anti-Hamas factions—like Abu Salai’s clan in Rafah—and continuing selective strikes.

3. Status Quo: Keep doing what they’re doing—limited incursions, hostage negotiations, and intelligence gathering. But this risks being perceived as weak and prolonging the conflict indefinitely.

As I said on Newsmax, the idea of a ceasefire right now is fantasy. Hamas still believes it’s winning—happy to let their people starve if they can pin the blame on Israel. President Trump nailed it:

“You’re gonna have to fight. You’re gonna have to clean it up. You’re gonna have to get rid of them.”