When it comes to resilience to the effects of the war between the United States and the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran, the Philippines remains not only vulnerable but also one of the laggards of the Asia Pacific region as a whole, according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Asia-Pacific’s (APAC) relative insulation from the Middle East conflict has singled out the Philippines and Indonesia as laggards as external headwinds are exacerbated by domestic turmoil, according to Allianz Research.
Allianz Research said in its half-time outlook report published last week that despite emerging as one of the regions most exposed to the United States (US)-Iran conflict, APAC is still seen as relatively resilient, with average growth of 4.3 percent this year.
This resilience is attributed to the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, which is “doing the heavy lifting that geopolitics and fiscal policy cannot.”
“However, gains are far from evenly shared, with a group of winners emerging, including countries such as Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea, while countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia lag as domestic turmoil compounds exposure to the conflict,” Allianz said.
Apart from the technology surge, the report also pointed to Asia’s role as a global engine of commerce. “In 2026, 80 percent of global trade volume growth in goods and services is driven by Asia and the US,” the report said.
However, this dominance faces fresh challenges from shifting American trade policies. Allianz warned that the shift in US policies “is expected to negatively affect Asian countries in particular,” as the US effective tariff rate is projected to rise from eight percent to 13 percent.
According to Allianz, the region’s resilience hinges on the booming technology sector. It said the AI boom, which has been driving nearly two-thirds of Asia’s export growth, is helping “cushion” the global economy from the impact of the Middle East crisis.
This AI boom is broadening Asia’s recovery beyond traditional manufacturing, with major semiconductor firms in Taiwan and South Korea leading regional market gains.
By contrast, the Philippines and Indonesia are struggling with the lingering consequences of energy shocks.
“Despite recent developments toward normalization in the Gulf, we expect inflation to remain elevated in the near term as second-round effects from elevated fuel, energy and fertilizer prices keep weighing on the region,” Allianz said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? What do you think the Philippines should do in order to become more resilient to the effects of the war between America and the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran? Do you think the national government has been working to improve oil storage capacity, attract more foreign investors and rely less on the Middle East for importing oil? Do you think the Philippines will reach out to the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran to make an economic deal?
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As the military conflict between the United States and the Islamic terrorist state of Iran intensifies, the State Department announced that action has been taken to cut off the financial lifelines of the evil regime.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the entire announcement by the State Department. Some parts in boldface…
The United States is taking decisive action to cut off the financial lifelines sustaining Iran’s ruling elite. Today’s action targets Ali Ansari, a Dubai-based Iranian national who has built a sprawling global network of real estate and commercial holdings — spanning Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Cyprus, the UAE, and beyond — on behalf of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and other regime insiders.
The United States also sanctioned three Iran-based currency exchange houses — Mohammad Darbani and Partners, Lavasani and Partners, and Mohsen Khandan and Partners — along with their managing partners and associated front companies. By targeting these networks, the United States is directly disrupting the regime’s ability to access foreign currency and conduct international financial activity.
These actions reflect the Trump Administration’s commitment to holding accountable all those who enable the regime’s corruption and regional aggression. The United States will continue to pursue sanctions against individuals, companies, and financial institutions — including foreign entities — that facilitate illicit Iranian commerce, and will not relent until the Iranian regime ends its destabilizing behavior and its exploitation of the Iranian people.
Today’s action is being taken pursuant to E.O. 13902, which targets persons operating in Iran’s financial and petroleum sectors, E.O. 13876, which focuses on the Supreme Leader of Iran and his affiliates, and the counterterrorism authority E.O. 13224, as amended by E.O. 13886. These designations build on a series of OFAC actions targeting Iranian shadow banking and currency exchange house networks
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the US will be able to cut off Iran’s links to all financial sources around the world? Could it be possible that the sinister financiers behind LGBTQ and transgender mobs and human traffickers (involved with mass migration targeting Europe) could secretly be funding the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran?
During her European visit, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae hailed the deal between the United States and the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran to end the fighting while paving the way for international oil tankers to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a news report by Kyodo News. Japan also remained consistent in its opposition to Iran’s nuclear weapons ambition.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Kyodo News report. Some parts in boldface…
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday hailed a U.S.-Iranian deal aimed at ending their monthslong war as a “big step” to de-escalating the conflict that has brought uncertainty to the global economy and roiled her resource-poor country.
Takaichi, who stopped by Italy before attending the Group of Seven summit in France, also told reporters Japan will take part in a joint statement issued by four European nations that welcomed the development and touched on minesweeping operations toward achieving the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We have been asked to participate…and we will,” the prime minister said about the statement by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy, after U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal with Iran has been reached that will lead to the reopening of the key energy artery, which has been effectively closed amid the conflict.
Takaichi noted it is important that the contents of the memorandum of understanding, which Trump said will be signed Friday, are “steadily implemented” as well as the “free and safe navigation” of vessels through the strait.
Japan, which has traditionally maintained amicable ties with Iran, has been making “proactive diplomatic efforts” based on the position that “what matters most is de-escalation of the situation,” she also said.
The joint statement by the European nations vowed support for the implementation of the U.S.-Iran deal “rapidly and comprehensively,” while noting that “the urgent re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation is essential.”
“We are committed to playing our part to achieve this — in accordance with our respective constitutional requirements — including through a strictly defensive and independent mission to reassure commercial shipping and conduct mine clearance operations,” it said.
With discussions between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear development to start after the signing of the deal, the statement also said the European countries are “prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to clear, verifiable steps by Iran” toward scrapping its program.
Takaichi reiterated Japan’s position of opposing Iran’s development of nuclear weapons, citing her country’s experience of being the only country to have suffered atomic bombing in the final stage of World War II.
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference that the memorandum, if implemented properly, would “help reduce risks to both the Japanese and global economies by ensuring free and safe navigation” through the strait.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Are you convinced that US-Iran deal will ensure complete nuclear disarmament of the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran? Do you think the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will pave the way for significant oil price reductions? Once revealed publicly, do you think the final details of the US-Iran deal will satisfy Japan and the European nations?
With the ongoing war in the Middle East, the hiked prices of fuel and other problems happening already, the World Bank (WB) sees the economy of the Philippines achieving gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 4.6% this year and 5.3% next year, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
Philippine economic growth would likely remain below its potential of at least six percent until the end of the Marcos Jr. administration, according to the latest forecasts by the World Bank.
Documents on the latest $800-million Philippines Growth and Jobs Development Policy Loan (DPL) 1, approved by the Washington-based multilateral lender last week, showed a projected 4.6- percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate for the country in 2026, inching up from the post-pandemic-low of 4.4 percent in 2025. This forecast is below the government’s downgraded five- to six-percent growth target for the year.
For 2027, the World Bank expects the Philippine economy to grow by 5.3 percent, which would also be lower than next year’s downscaled 5.5- to 6.5-percent goal.
By the time President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. steps down and turns over to a new administration in 2028, World Bank projections showed 5.5-percent GDP growth, still below the six- to seven-percent target.
“The growth outlook remains moderate over the near term, with activity expected to remain subdued in 2026 before gradually strengthening… The impact of the government’s anti-corruption efforts and a significantly lower infrastructure budget in 2026 is expected to weigh on public investment,” the World Bank said.
The lender added that a smaller statistical carry-over into 2026 signals weaker initial momentum, with growth projected to average 5.2 percent in 2026 to 2028, driven by recovering private domestic demand amid easing inflation and financing conditions.
“Private consumption is expected to benefit from stable labor income and improved confidence, while private investment gradually strengthens alongside improved credit conditions and a normalization of public capital spending. External demand, particularly for electronics and artificial intelligence (AI)-related exports, is projected to remain supportive, although global trade uncertainty presents downside risks,” the document said.
This World Bank report was prepared in mid-February before it was disclosed last week, which means that the impact of the war in the Middle East was not yet taken into consideration by the lender in its GDP growth forecasts.
At that time, the World Bank projected headline inflation to stay within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) two- to four-percent target range, averaging about 2.8 percent in 2026 to 2028.
Before the domestic price pressures wrought by the Middle East conflict that sent global oil prices soaring, the World Bank believed that the BSP would likely keep a neutral-to-supportive policy stance while balancing the still-negative output gap against risks from exchange-rate volatility and food inflation. A negative output gap refers to the economy expanding below its potential, which, for the Philippines, is estimated at about six percent annually.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the economic growth predictions of the World Bank for the Philippines will turn out to be true in the near future? Do you think there is any hope left for the economy of the Philippines to achieve annual GDP growth of 6%? Do you think more foreign investors will be convinced to invest in the Philippines this year?
In what can be described as the most significant eliminations since that of the demonic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) successfully eliminated Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani and Basij Commander Gholamreza Soleimani, according to a news report by The Jerusalem Post.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from The Jerusalem Post news report. Some parts in boldface…
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike in Iran overnight, the IDF and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.
Israeli confirmation of the assassination came after three separate sources confirmed to The Jerusalem Post he was targeted in what is the single most momentous targeted killing following the death of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
The military referred to Larijani as “the de facto leader of the Iranian terror regime.”
Basij commander killed along with ‘majority of leadership’ – The IDF also confirmed it had assassinated the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij paramilitary militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, and his deputy, Seyyed Karishi. The two were killed in a makeshift tent area, which had been set up to make it harder to follow them as opposed to in a known headquarters.
An Israeli official also confirmed to The Jerusalem Post that the majority of the Basij leadership was eliminated overnight in the Israeli airstrike.
The military also announced that it killed the IRGC’s Aerospace Force chief.
Larijani was due to give public address in Iran on Tuesday – Iranian authorities stated that Larijani was due to give a public address on Tuesday, but two IDF sources expressed skepticism about his making a statement and expressed stronger optimism that the strike succeeded in killing him, before his death was announced.
After Larijani’s death was confirmed, the Mossad Farsi account posted on X/Twitter, saying “In the end, people without mercy will die.”
The Prime Minister’s Office released an image later on Tuesday, which it said captured the moment in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued the order for the targeted assassinations.
Netanyahu also released a statement via video following confirmation of Larijani’s death, calling him the “boss” of the regime, whom he called a “group of gangsters.”
“We’re undermining the regime, in the hope of giving the Iranian nation the opportunity to get rid of it,” he said. “It won’t happen all at once, it won’t happen easily, but if we commit to it, we’ll be able to give them the chance to take their fates into their own hands.”
Larijani was ‘de-facto leader’ of Iran after Khamenei’s killing – Some have viewed Larijani as the man running the Iranian regime since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated by the IDF, along with Iran’s military chief, IRGC chief, defense minister, and around 40 other top officials on February 28.
Larijani has been the Islamic regime’s most public voice, responding directly to threats and comments by US President Donald Trump and others.
Whereas Mojtaba Khamenei has been technically appointed the next supreme leader, IDF and American intelligence have said he is badly wounded, and given a total lack of public appearances, doubts have been expressed about whether he is actually running the country.
Further, Larijani was promoted to run day-to-day operations for the country and all negotiations with the West over the conflict in the weeks before the war started.
Larijani, on March 1, announced that he would be heading an interim committee for running the country, given Khamenei’s death. However, just because Larijani issued such a statement does not mean that he is for sure calling the shots.
The Iranian leader has had ups and downs with Khamenei, having been an IRGC commander, speaker of parliament, and a national security council chief, but then was disqualified from running for Iranian president to pave the way for Ebrahim Raisi’s election in 2021, and was out of favor for a time.
However, in recent months, Larijani made a comeback as one of the older and still living top advisers to Khamenei, following so many top officials being killed in June 2025, and became Khamenei’s number two, running the country’s day-to-day security affairs and nuclear negotiations with the US.
If Larijani has been the number one official in Iran these last two weeks, and even if he is only one of the top few, killing or wounding him could significantly impact the overall strategic picture.
This development is the latest addition to the number of Islamic terrorist leaders Israel eliminated under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu. With Larijani confirmed dead, one has to wonder who exactly are leading the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran and why is it their chosen so-called supreme leader – son of the demon Ali Khamenei – has not physically emerged. For additional insight, watch the YouTube news video below.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the significance of the latest Islamic terrorist leaders of Iran will be realized soon as the war in the Middle East goes on? Who do you think is actually leading the evil regime of Iran right now?
Even though it has been severely damaged by the joint forces of the United States and Israel, the Islamic terrorist state of Iran continued to retaliate by launching missiles and drones not only at American and Israeli forces, but also on sovereign nations in the Middle East such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Islamist Qatar and more. As such, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae condemned Iran for the destruction it committed, according to a news article by Nippon TV.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news article of Nippon TV. Some parts in boldface…
Amid continued tensions surrounding the situation in Iran, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae spoke on the phone with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on March 5 and told him she condemns Iran’s actions.
Officials said that at the start of the roughly 20-minute conversation, Merz provided an overview of the international situation, taking into account events including his summit meeting with US President Donald Trump.
In response, Takaichi told Merz that she condemns Iran’s actions, including attacks that have extended to civilian and diplomatic facilities and resulted in civilian casualties. The two leaders agreed to work together to de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible.
Ahead of the phone call, Takaichi met with visiting UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Al Jaber at her office.
In the talks, Takaichi asked for cooperation from the United Arab Emirates in safeguarding Japanese nationals and maintaining a stable supply of oil to Japan.
Officials said Jaber expressed his intention to cooperate in areas such as ensuring the safety of Japanese citizens.
Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, there have been disruptions in logistics, with tankers becoming stalled near the Strait of Hormuz.
Japanese automaker Toyota Motor is said to be considering reducing its production of vehicles bound for the Middle East.
According to sources, Toyota has notified parts manufacturers and other relevant entities about the possibility that it may reduce the number of vehicles produced. Toyota has not disclosed details of its production plans or whether it uses the Strait of Hormuz.
But last year, the company exported about 320,000 vehicles, including Land Cruisers, to Middle Eastern countries.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran is just days away from totally collapsing as the United States and Israel keep on pounding them with military weapons? Do you think the wicked government of Iran is paying any attention to the Prime Minister of Japan? Why do you think the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran deliberately targets civilians with missiles and drones? Did you notice a lot of people in your local community who openly support the Islamic terrorist state of Iran?
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Dawn Of The Dead Remake Revisited – Back in 2004, I saw the Dawn of the Dead remake inside a cinema located inside a shopping mall here in the Philippines. The Zack Snyder-directed film only inspired me to look for the 1978 original version of Dawn of the Dead directed by the late George Romero. The only thing the two films have in common is the concept of desperate people taking refuge inside a shopping mall during a zombie apocalypse. Zack Snyder’s film was more about violent action with horror elements blended with it. As Snyder went on to direct high-profile DC Comics superhero movies and produced other such projects of Warner Bros., it was natural for film buffs to gravitate to 2004’s Dawn of Dead which was his directorial debut. To learn more about the said remake and see the cinematic elements that formed the style of Snyder, watch the videos below.
#2 Premium Sushi, Hearty Tempura And Wagyu Beef For Breakfast In Japan –If you were traveling overseas, how hungry do you get when you start the day? Would you go for a simple and affordable breakfast or would you want something special in the morning? In Tokyo, there are these food joints that offer customers a luxurious breakfast with Wagyu beef, special tempura and premium sushi to name some. Already, local and foreign tourists are flocking to such food joints for the premium breakfast experience and you can learn more from the Nippon TV videos below.
#3 The Different Versions Of Final Fantasy VI – Among all the many Final Fantasy games released since 1987, Final Fantasy VI is still my favorite of them all. I first played the classic Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) on Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1994 which was titled “Final Fantasy III”, and it has a great epic story, a huge cast of playable characters, lots of unique gameplay features and great game design. Through the decades, Final Fantasy VI was ported to many consoles, mobile devices and even on personal computer. You might be wondering which version of Final Fantasy VI is the best in terms of visual quality, which one is the most available and which one is the most updated version. That said, you can find out by watching the video below.
#4 Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest Revisited – When Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest was first released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1987, many fans who enjoyed the first game were alienated by how different the sequel felt, looked and played. It still was horror-themed 2D adventure game with Simon Belmont as the playable protagonist again but the creative team of Konami implemented role-playing elements and open-world exploration into the gameplay. Major game design changes aside, Castlevania II still has a lot more than meets the eye and you can find out by watching the video below. Surely it will challenge what you know about Simon Belmont and the Castlevania lore.
#5 Why Feminists Support Islam – Let’s be very clear here. Islam is a truly ugly religion and it is incompatible not only with Western democracy and values, but also with several other cultures around the world. The strange thing is that modern-day feminists actually support Islam even though the ugly religion itself goes against women’s rights, against personal liberty and against freedom as we know it. In the video below, Ayaan Hirsi Ali explains in detail why mainstream feminists today support Islam, why feminism today is very twisted and why feminists even aligned themselves with Islamic terrorists.
In 2025, so much has happened here in my native Philippines and around the world. Here in the Philippines, there is this growing economic uncertainty in relation to the flood control corruption scandals which angered many Filipinos and made foreign investors doubtful about the state of the nation. The most recent quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) report showed a clear slowdown while the Philippines has fallen behind its Southeast Asian neighbors when it comes to attracting foreign tourists.
Overseas, US President Donald Trump made his presence felt a lot. In 2025 alone, his administration prevented new wars from happening, helped Israel defeat Iran during the 12-Day War, helped end the war in Gaza and saw the release of surviving hostages who went home to Israel, and America struck Islamic terrorists hard in Syria and Nigeria. Along the way, America grew stronger economically in 2025 and that was backed by high tariff revenues. Now on his 2nd term, Trump keeps on proving he is a President of action with expertise on making deals. His movement of Make America Great Again (MAGA) continues to make waves with the American people and even with those in other parts of the world. We are clearly living in the age of Trump and there are still a few years left in his 2nd term.
Over in Japan, the new Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and her administration are implementing reforms to protect the Japanese, reviving their national economy and securing the nation not only from Communist China but also from the international mob of illegal immigration, human traffickers, Islamists and arrogant globalists.
With regards to what was achieved with my website and blog www.CarloCarrasco.com, I am thankful to our Lord and also delighted to share with you the numbers for the year 2025. About 113,000 hits (page views) worldwide were counted with roughly 80,000 visitors worldwide recorded, plus almost 1,000 likes worldwide counted within the WordPress network.
The top nations of hits and visitors for 2025 are the Philippines, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Hong Kong and Sweden. With regards to lifetime hits of my website and blog, it is roughly 1,130,000 hits worldwide since January 4, 2019. The page views and number of visitors of 2025 are huge improvements over the 2024 blog numbers. I thank you readers for visiting my website and reading my blog posts.
When it comes to social media, I am thankful to the Lord for the surge of new members in my South Metro Manila Facebook group. From the 3rd week of October until December 31 of 2025, the FB group’s members jumped from a little over 6,000 to over 9,200! That’s a surge of more than fifty percent in less than a quarter’s time. In relation to what South Metro Manila is about geographically, members based in the southern Metro Manila cities of Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa combined for more than 3,800 members. A great majority of the FB group’s overall membership are based in the Philippines. Many times, I shared my blog posts in the South Metro Manila Facebook group and I encourage you to visit it by clicking https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673.
There will be no slowdown with blogging about local community developments, magnifying the news that mattered, making special features, preaching the Word of God, publishing entertainment stuff and more in 2026. That said, I thank the businesses, the community organizations, the local authorities, the local churches, the YouTubers, and others who trusted me and my long-term online publishing. My thanks to the Lord God for these growing achievements and the lively connections.
I also thank the Lord that I am now a businessman and a certified professional. I now have my own enterprise and achieving growth and establishing new connections are my goals now. I can make contributions to the Philippine economy.
For 2026, I encourage you all to live on with uncompromising faith in Lord Jesus and in the Word of God. The world we live in is twisted and worldliness will only lead you to evil.
That being said, I prepared the following scriptures from the Holy Bible for your enlightenment below…
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all.
Acts 10:34-36 (NKJV)
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3 (NKJV)
Lord Jesus is the Savior and the Hope of ALL nations! There is no doubt about that. As for the people living with evil reading this, I encourage you to come to Lord Jesus for repentance and submission so that the evil within your heart will go away. The many forms of evil in this world – Islamist beliefs, Communism, socialism, Marxism, antisemitism, idolatry, LGBTQ ideology, secularism, rabid feminism and much more – have led many away from the Lord. Still, there is time for the people consumed by evil to change themselves for the better by turning away from darkness and surrendering to Lord Jesus.
Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and spread the Word of God to others so that the lost and the unsaved around you will stop being wicked and realize Lord Jesus is the Savior of all! Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
To get straight into what happened, watch the selected videos below. Pay close attention to the details.
To put things in perspective about the many surviving hostages who made it back home to Israel after spending over two years in captivity in Gaza, posted below is an excerpt from The Jerusalem Post news report. Some parts in boldface…
All 20 of the living Israeli hostages held by Hamas have returned to Israeli territory, the IDF announced. The remaining live hostages held by Hamas were all in IDF custody as of 11:42 a.m.
The first seven hostages to be released were named as: Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Eitan Mor, Gali and Ziv Berman, Omri Miran, and Guy Gilboa-Dalal. The second round of returned hostages, which are the other 13, included: Bar Abraham Kupershtein, Evyatar David, Yosef-Chaim Ohana, Segev Kalfon, Avinatan Or, Elkana Bohbot, Maxim Herkin, Nimrod Cohen, Matan Zangauker, Eitan Horn, Rom Braslavski, Ariel Cunio, and David Cunio.
The released hostages have undergone a medical assessment and are en route to hospitals and will reunite with their families, the military added.
Despite earlier IDF estimates that the hostages would be returned in three rounds, in the end it took only two rounds, with Hamas seeming to want to have all hostages over to Israeli custody before US President Donald Trump was soon expected to speak to the Israeli Knesset.
The three expected locations for the transfers were Gaza City, central Gaza, and Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
Earlier Monday at 9:10 a.m., the IDF had already received seven out of the 20 remaining live hostages back from Hamas via the International Red Cross (ICRC). By 8:10 a.m., the ICRC had already received those hostages from Hamas.
Late Sunday night, the IDF had said that if the live hostages were stable, they would move from Red Cross custody to IDF special forces custody, then to the Reim base, and then to the three hospitals: Shiba, Ichalov, and Beilinson.However, if a live hostage was in immediate medical danger, a helicopter would be sent to rush them to Soroka Medical Center or to Barzilai Medical Center.
All of the first round hostages were stable enough medically that they did not require an emergency evacuation.
The IDF expects that some deceased hostages will be returned on Monday, but has no set numbers about how many, and is prepared for that part of the process to be drawn out over multiple days or longer. The deceased hostages will be transferred to Israel in coordination with further Red Cross-supervised exchanges, under the same verification and transfer protocols. Part of the process will also involve identifying the remains with specific hostages.
According to the IDF, Hamas is bound to assist a joint mechanism associated with the Trump ceasefire to help locate other deceased hostages, where finding them may be less of an exact science.
The ICRC will also transfer around 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners held in Israeli prisons to the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and locations outside of Israel, such as Qatar and Turkey.
Praise and thank the Lord for the return of the 20 surviving hostages! Spending a little over two years as captives of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza surely has been painful and torturous for them. Their respective families had to deal with the long waits and uncertainties during the two years. The surviving hostages are now starting to get their lives back on track and figure out how they will fit back in with local society. The release of the hostages was made possible by the new peace deal for Gaza (and the Middle East) brokered by Trump. What has happened today is undeniably history unfolding and there is still a lot of developments yet to happen.
Of course, we should not forget about the other hostages who died in captivity in Gaza. For sure, the return of bodies of dead hostages will be sorrowful for the affected families and their local communities. That being said, I urge the faithful reading this to pray to the Lord to comfort and heal the families whose loved ones died in captivity in Gaza.
Moving on, Trump addressed the Knesset during his visit in Israel. He expressed how good it is to say that the hostages are back and that the painful nightmare left behind by the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks committed by Hamas (supported by terrorist state Iran) is over.
To put things in perspective and to find out what Trump exactly said, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of The Jerusalem Post. Some parts in boldface…
US President Donald Trump arrived at the Knesset on Monday morning, giving a speech at the plenum.
A trumpet fanfare sounded in the Knesset upon his entrance to the building and he entered the plenum to additional fanfare and wide applause.
“We’re in a nice place,” Trump’s speech began. We are “giving thanks to the Abrahamic God,” he added.
“The hostages are back! It feels so good to say it,” Trump said.
Netanyahu is “not easy to work with, but that’s what makes him great,” Trump affirmed.
“Like the USA right now, it will be the golden age for Israel,” the president commented.
Trump commented that “a lot of people said we were wasting our time” with regards to a ceasefire agreement, but thanks to several “great American patriots, we achieved this,” Trump commented, highlighting the work of US envoy Steve Witkoff for the part that he played.
Trump also thanked “someone who loves Israel so much, my daughter converted,” referring to his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and also thanked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, noting that the two were political rivals, particularly during the Republican party primaries before Trump’s 2016 election victory.
Trump said that countries working together toward peace under the Gaza agreement represents an “incredible triumph for Israel and the world.”
He said Israel “has won all that can be won by force of arms.”
He added that it was time to translate what he described as “victories against terrorists” into peace and prosperity for the Middle East.
Trump then said my “personality is all about stopping wars.”
“As you mentioned, Bibi before, peace through strength…We have a lot of weapons, and we’ve given a lot of them to Israel frankly…Bibi would call me sometimes, can you get me this weapon that weapon, some of them I had never even heard of,” Trump said.
“Never forget and never again,” Trump declared regarding Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre, as the plenum stood for a standing ovation.
The “cruelty of October 7 struck the heart of humanity. The US mourned alongside Israel,” Trump affirmed.
“Because of us, the long and painful nightmare is finally over,” he said.
Trump also praised Israel for its airstrikes against Iran in June’s Operation Rising Lion, and the part the US played in striking Iranian nuclear facilities in Operation Midnight Hammer.
“We stopped the number one state sponsor of terror in obtaining the world’s most dangerous weapons,” he said.
“Assuming we made the same deal we have today, there would be a dark could over the deal,” he added.
“We took a big cloud off the Middle East and off of Israel,” Trump said to a round of applause.
“They took a big hit,” Trump said about Iran. “You know it would be great if we could make a peace deal” with them, he said.
“The dagger of Hezbollah, long aimed at Israel’s throat, has been shattered,” Trump commented, adding that he is supporting the Lebanese president in disarming the terror organization.
“People are dancing in countries in the street that would never have danced in the street,” due to the deal, Trump said, adding that the entire region has endorsed the plan that Hamas will be demilitarized.
“Peace is not just a dream, it’s a reality that we can build upon piece by piece,” the president said.
Everybody that has tried antisemitic policies has become irrelevant, and those who have reached across to Israel have become important, Trump said referring to the Abraham Accords, signalling his intention for other countries to join the agreement. “Now you have peace…people who really like Israel,” he said.
“They did nothing with the document,” he said, referring to countries who have not yet join the normalization agreement with Israel.
“This little dot, look at what you’ve done it’s incredible,” he said, receiving another standing ovation.
“The world wanted peace and Israel wanted peace, everybody did, and what a victory it’s been. The timing of this is brilliant,” Trump said as he thanked Netanyahu for “having the courage to end the war” when he did.
“After tremendous pain and hardship, now is the time to build the country up, instead of tearing it downI intend to be a partner is this,” Trump said.
“It’s my firm hope and dream that the Abraham Accords will turn out to be everything that we thought they would. Trump said that even after the war, the countries within the accords have remained. I hope all the countries we’re seeking, join quickly, no games,” Trump commented.
When Iran signed the nuclear deal it was a disaster for everyone,” Trump spoke on the past.
“That was the beginning of a very bad time, and by the way, I terminated the Iran nuclear deal,” Trump added.
Iran “wants to make a deal,” Trump said. Neither US or Israel bear Iran any hostility, the president claimed.
“We are ready when you are, and it’s going to be the best decision that Iran ever made,” Trump said.
“The state of Israel is strong and it will live and thrive forever,” he said, praising Israel as a key US ally.
Trump also spoke on the things he has done for Israel, remarking on how he is the best ally Israel has ever had.
Still there in the Knesset, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the mourning families, the abducted and the wounded Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel. You can see it by clicking here.
Thank the Lord for US President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the armed forces of Israel and the entire Jewish State for the breakthroughs that happened this year. Israel defeated Iran during the 12-Day War which involved America’s massive bombing on the Iranian nuclear facilities. Hamas terrorists lost a lot of ground in Gaza and were down to their final stronghold being cornered by the IDF.
The Trump-brokered peace deal is working as I write this and having been to Israel myself (some of my Israel 2023 tour blog posts can be read by clicking here, here, here, here and here) I truly believe that the Middle East will change for the better with Israel as God’s chosen state. There will be challenges, the Trump-brokered peace deal has to keep developing, Middle East nations will have to adjust before joining the Abraham Accords and the terrorist leadership of Iran has yet to vanish. Whatever happens, hang on to your faith in the Lord and live on with His Word (the Holy Bible). Do not let the worldly pawns of Satan and chaos of the world dominate you. Simply stay strong with the Lord and keep on supporting Israel and Trump’s current term as US President.
To everyone reading this, I encourage you to accept the truth that Israel is the land God designated specifically for the Jewish people (read Genesis 35:10-12) and His command must be followed without hesitation. If you want to be blessed further by the Lord, do so by loving and blessing the Jewish people (Genesis 12:1-3). I did my part when I was in Israel. Also, let me remind you all that the ties between the Jews and Christians are truly biblical!
I encourage you all to pray to the Lord God in support of Israel, to love and bless the Jewish people, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Retrospective look back at Heaven’s Gate – If you love watching movies, have you ever seen Heaven’s Gate? That 1980 movie directed by Michael Cimino was a very expensive commercial and critical failure. Cimino had blank check power which drained United Artists’ funds and he executed a lot of moves to ensure authenticity for filming believing he had something great for cinema. While the movie has been praised a lot more since he re-cut the film (Criterion Collection Blu-ray is available online), it is important to look back at its history as it is a fact that its failure destroyed Cimino’s credibility as well as the New Hollywood era entirely. How was Isabelle Huppert hired, who led United Artists, what cases of animal cruelty happened and how the actors described the production can be seen in the Final Cut video below. For entertainment value, I added Critical Drinker’s explanatory video and the 3-part movie review by Cinema Snob.
#2 Animated portrayal of an ntense scene from the Jurassic Park novel – If you have seen Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, were you able to read the novel by Michael Crichton? I read the novel after seeing the film in 1993 and I was struck at how different literary Jurassic Park really was. The movie was not really based on it but inspired by it, and there were so many differences between them. The literary Jurassic Park was much more violent, John Hammond was greedy and self-centered, and there were two Tyrannosaurs. The novel also had memorable scenes that movie never adapted, and one of them was the violent encounter with the adult Tyrannosaur on the main road which was animated well by YouTuber InGen 2D. Watch the video below.
#3 The successful American strike on Iran’s nuclear sites explained – America’s successful bombing of three nuclear sites of terrorist state Iran was very tremendous politically and militarily. It helped Israel win its 12-day war with Iran and right now the wicked regime led by the Ayatollah has been weakened significantly as multiple military commanders and nuclear scientists have been eliminated. With Iran severely weakened, it won’t be able to fund and arm Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi terrorists. The Americans used stealth B-2 bombers which traveled into Iran undetected for the attack. To know the details, watch the explanatory video of TBN Israel below.
#4 Unsolved Mysteries Season 6 Episode 2 – I found another engaging episode of Unsolved Mysteries hosted by the late Robert Stack. The 2nd episode from the sixth season of the show has an in-depth look at the Mystery Robber, an Australian pilot’s encounter with a UFO, and more. There is a lot to enjoy or discover in the episode below.
#5 Jurassic World revisited – It has been ten years since Jurassic World was first released in cinemas. While the movie was highly successful in terms of ticket sales, I myself did not enjoy it much and very clearly it was the further bastardization of dinosaurs and core concepts of Jurassic Park (both novel and the 1993 movie). Having more action and more dinosaurs with humans trapped on an island did not work for me and the only movie that executed those elements well as the first one directed by Spielberg. Still, there are lots of YouTubers who posted videos about Jurassic World and you can see how the movie impacts them and what they think about it in the selected videos below.
#6 You, Me and the Movies react to April Fool’s Day – Released in 1986, April Fool’s Day is a dark comedy, mystery, slasher film that follows several college students on an island estate. On face value, it looked like a typical slasher horror film but it offered moviegoers something else. You should watch how You, Me and Movies react to it in their video below.
Author Carlo Carrasco 