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.”

Just inside the border fence between Israel and Gaza, 950 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid are parked in neat rows—each one carrying enough food to feed 5,000 people. That’s nearly 4.7 million meals sitting idle in the blistering sun, not because they can’t be delivered, but because the United Nations refuses to distribute them. The reason? Doing so would mean cooperating with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and apparently, political posturing takes priority over feeding the hungry.

I was there. I saw the trucks. I spoke with the IDF officers overseeing the process. The KM Shalom distribution yard is not a ghost town—it's an active, secure checkpoint where aid is being processed, inspected, and prepared for delivery. The Israeli military has opened the door for humanitarian efforts to operate safely. But the UN has effectively slammed it shut, choosing ideological purity over practical compassion.

The prevailing media narrative often accuses Israel of “blocking aid” into Gaza. But here’s the truth on the ground: Israel isn’t blocking humanitarian aid—Hamas is looting it, and the UN is refusing to cooperate to ensure it gets where it needs to go. In the absence of leadership from the world’s largest humanitarian body, smaller organizations have taken up the mantle.

By Chuck Holton | July 25, 2025

What's Happening

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