A growing scandal surrounds the United Nations as senior officials reportedly issued mafia-style threats to NGOs cooperating with the Trump-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). According to watchdog group UN Watch, UN agencies attempted to block alternative aid channels in Gaza by warning organizations not to collaborate with the GHF, allegedly stating, “We’ll break your legs.”
The GHF, launched in early 2025 and supported by President Trump’s administration and Israel, was designed to bypass Hamas and UNRWA control to deliver direct humanitarian relief. It has provided over 48 million meals and secured $30 million in U.S. funding. However, the United Nations, under Secretary-General António Guterres, denounced the program as “inherently unsafe,” citing casualties among Palestinians trying to reach aid sites. Critics argue the UN’s real concern is preserving its monopoly on aid distribution, not protecting civilians.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, reported that UN officials warned NGOs behind closed doors not to partner with the GHF. He described the threats as “mafia-type,” pointing to a pattern of coercion designed to protect the influence of UNRWA and its allies. UNRWA has long faced criticism for ties to Hamas and for politicizing aid operations in the region.
President Trump’s administration has stood by the GHF, viewing it as a strategic alternative to compromised UN relief efforts. Yet UN resistance has complicated logistics, and over 400 Palestinians have reportedly been killed or injured near aid sites since the program began. Humanitarian groups now face a stark decision: partner with the GHF and risk retaliation, or stay aligned with the UN’s increasingly political restrictions.
The UN’s aggressive tactics raise serious ethical and legal concerns. Allegations of physical threats and backroom intimidation contradict the UN’s claimed neutrality. With famine conditions worsening in Gaza, critics argue that the UN is placing politics over human lives, undermining both trust and effectiveness in global relief efforts.
