May 28th, 2025: UN Fumes As Mystery Group Takes Over Gaza Aid Operations & New Evidence Of War Crimes In Ukraine
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It's Wednesday, the 28th of May. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We'll start things off with a look at a new group handing out aid in Gaza. The UN is furious. Okay, so it can't be all bad. Major relief groups are boycotting it, and its former marine director just walked away. So, what's really going on with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation?

Later in the show, brutality in Ukraine. Intercepted Russian radio transmissions reveal orders to execute surrendering Ukrainian soldiers. If confirmed, it could mark another war crime chalked up to Putin's invasion. Plus, an unexpected development in the Middle East. Israel and Syria are holding direct talks for the first time in years, aiming to cool tensions along their volatile border.

And in today's Back of the Brief, a story worth keeping an eye on. In Iran, a nationwide trucker strike is spreading fast, hitting over 100 cities and potentially signaling deeper unrest. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.

In a story you might have missed, but one that could have major implications for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, a new and somewhat controversial group has quietly taken over aid distribution in parts of the war-torn enclave. It's called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or GHF, and while it presents itself as an independent contractor, it does have powerful backers, namely the governments of the U.S. and Israel.

The US State Department has publicly expressed support for the group's efforts, even as major humanitarian organizations have slammed the operation and are now boycotting it altogether. So, let's try to figure out why the UN and humanitarian groups would be against an organization with the stated goal of delivering aid to the beleaguered Gaza Strip.

In short, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation appears to be part of a larger plan to strip Hamas of one of its most effective tools, and that would be control over aid distribution. For years, Hamas has siphoned off international aid, using it to line its own pockets or sell on the black market to fund military operations. By putting a new group in charge, the goal appears to be to cut Hamas out of the equation.

Controlling the international aid has been a key element of Hamas controlling the Palestinian population of Gaza. But this isn't just about Hamas. It's also about the U.N.,

Israeli officials have long accused the UN of harboring anti-Israel bias, especially within agencies operating in Gaza. There's also plentiful evidence that aid groups that are overseen by the UN, like UNRWA, are compromised by terror groups. UNRWA itself has admitted in the past that it harbored members and supporters of Hamas.

By shifting food distribution responsibilities to the GHF, Israel hopes to bypass and ultimately replace the current UN-run system. Obviously, well, not everyone's on board. The UN, the Red Cross, and several other humanitarian organizations are refusing to work with the GHF, citing multiple concerns.

First, they say, there's the issue of neutrality. Critics argue that by involving governments in aid operations, the GHF has blurred the boundary between humanitarian work and political agendas. They warn that this sets a dangerous precedent for future conflict zones. Yes, like the dangerous precedent of efficiently delivering aid to the people that need it, rather than to the warlords or terror groups controlling those areas.

Second, there's the use of biometric screening at distribution sites. That includes facial recognition technology. Human rights groups say this opens the door to, oh, there it is, mass surveillance and possible targeting of Palestinians by Israeli security forces. Well, the privacy implications are obvious, especially in a war zone. But you certainly wouldn't want to have the ability to identify terrorists in a war zone.

And third, the aid itself is mostly being distributed in southern Gaza. That means residents from the north would have to travel south, often through active conflict zones, just to access basic supplies. Now, critics say this could amount to coerced displacement, pushing civilians out of strategic areas under the guise of humanitarian relief.

Although, frankly, and not to say that this justifies the concept, but just pointing it out, the residents of Gaza have been moving back and forth, north and south, within the Strip ever since Hamas started this conflict back in October of 2023.

So, who's running the show for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation? Well, I'm glad you asked. Up until just a few days ago, well, the executive director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was a fellow named Jake Wood. He's a former U.S. Marine and co-founder of Team Rubicon. That's a veteran-led disaster relief organization. But Wood abruptly resigned on the 25th of May, just before GHF, who

launched its operations in Gaza. He cited concerns of the group's failure to uphold basic humanitarian principles like neutrality and independence, basically echoing the UN's criticism.

Another key player in this group is the man now effectively overseeing security for the operation, and that will be an important, obviously, part of this, a former Green Beret and later CIA officer named Philip Riley. Now, Riley helped train the Contras back in the 1980s, was one of the first CIA officers on the ground in Afghanistan after 9-11, and later served as CIA station chief in Kabul. These days, he runs a private security firm, Safe Reach Solutions,

which is managing on-the-ground operations for GHF in southern Gaza.

And another question, who's footing the bill? Well, that remains somewhat unclear. According to GHF, it does not receive money from the U.S. or from Israel. The organization recently told the New York Times that a Western European nation pledged more than $100 million to support the effort, but they refused to name the country. For now, the GHF is up and running. As of today, two

Two distribution sites are operational, with two more expected to come online in the next few days. Now, one last note. It's also worth noting that Hamas itself seems to be pretty upset that this group is operating. No surprise there. The terror group has denounced the GHF, calling it a, quote, agent of the occupation and warning Palestinian civilians who accept its assistance that they will, quote, pay the price. Hmm.

Yet another sign of Hamas's benevolence towards the people they were supposedly leading. So if you're wondering, well, which side of the fence to stand on in this particular dispute, if Hamas is against the GHF and is threatening Gaza residents and bullying them into not accepting desperately needed food aid, that might be a clue where to stand.

All right, coming up after the break, intercepted Russian radio transmissions reveal orders to execute surrendering Ukrainian soldiers. Plus, an unexpected development in the Middle East. Israel and Syria are holding direct talks for the first time in years. I'll be right back.

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Intercepted Russian radio transmissions reveal what Kyiv officials say is a chilling pattern: direct battlefield orders to execute surrendering Ukrainian troops. The recordings, shared with international monitors and media outlets, reportedly align with drone footage captured in November of 2024 in the Zaporozhye region, where six Ukrainian soldiers are seen lying face down. Two appear to be shot at close range.

Another is disarmed and marched away by a soldier wearing Russian military gear. According to a transcript of the intercepted audio, the execution orders were repeatedly issued over a 26-minute span with escalating frustration from a Russian commander.

The audio begins with one Russian officer shouting, "Ask who is the commander, take the commander captive and kill everyone else." Four minutes later, that order is reiterated in cruder terms, "Take the commander captive, take the senior, get rid of the effing others." The commanding Russian officer grows impatient as field troops fail to respond clearly.

He demands, quote, really? Because that order seems fairly clear. He demands, quote, someone answer, are the soldiers surrendering or not, end quote. Eventually, a soldier radios back, reporting that only a, quote, senior has been identified. The officer responds flatly, quote, take the senior, get rid of the others, end quote.

Moments later, the drone footage reveals a masked figure in green military fatigues, consistent with Russian uniforms, approaching the Ukrainian soldiers, one captive gestures, seemingly pleading, before being shot in the head. The disarmed soldier is taken into custody. A final radio message confirms the outcome, quote, we killed the effing others, end quote.

Ukrainian officials have identified the alleged perpetrators as members of the Storm Unit within the 394th Motorized Rifle Regiment, which falls under Russia's 127th Motorized Rifle Division. That same unit has previously been implicated in the beheading of a Ukrainian soldier in the same region, with Kiev's prosecutors now formally charging its commanders.

CNN consulted a forensic audio expert who verified the authenticity of the transmission and found no signs of editing. While CNN has not independently linked the audio to the drone footage, analysts say that the timeline, the language, and context are consistent.

The U.N. special investigator on extrajudicial executions described the evidence as pointing to a deliberate strategy rather than isolated acts, calling the killings, quote, grave breaches of international law. The investigator said, quote, they would not happen at this scale without orders or at least consent from the highest levels of the Russian military, which means the presidency, end quote.

According to Ukraine's military intelligence, more than 150 cases of executed prisoners of war have been recorded since the full-scale invasion began back in February of 2022, figures released on 24 May that officials say likely undercount the actual toll.

A separate report from the 19th of March from the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine supports the allegation, citing testimony from Russian defectors who were told not to take prisoners. One deputy brigade commander was quoted as saying, prisoners are not needed, shoot them on the spot.

Ukraine's prosecutor general has opened 75 criminal cases tied to POW executions. Only eight were filed in 2022. That number jumped to 39 in 2024, many involving group killings. Already this year, 20 new investigations are underway.

The head of Ukraine's war crimes prosecution unit said Putin's past remarks that, quote, Ukrainian soldiers captured in Russia should be treated as terrorists has created essentially a climate of impunity. The prosecutor revealed that on the Kremlin's terms, quote, it's a green light to kill them.

Moscow denies committing war crimes, well, there's a surprise, and insists that its forces follow international law. But Ukrainian officials say the growing body of audio, visual, and testimonial experience and evidence paints a different picture, one of systematic executions sanctioned from the top down.

All right, shifting to the Middle East, where for the first time in years, Israel and Syria are holding face-to-face meetings aimed at easing tensions along their shared border, marking a major pivot in a decades-long adversarial relationship. According to five people familiar with the matter, the talks represent a significant step forward as Washington pushes Syria's new Islamist leadership to establish dialogue with its longtime enemy.

In turn, Israel has eased its long-running campaign of airstrikes targeting Syrian territory, a move that reflects just how much the ground has shifted since December of this past year. It was December of 2024 when the Islamist rebel group HTS swept into Damascus and deposed former President Assad. Two Syrian officials, two Western sources, and a regional intelligence figure confirmed that multiple rounds of meetings have occurred

some reportedly taking place on Israeli territory. Syria's delegation is led by Ahmed al-Dalati, a top intelligence official appointed governor of a southern province bordering the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Dalati, who was recently tapped to oversee security in the Druze-majority province of Sueda, is quickly emerging as a key player in Syria's post-Assad era. The Israeli side has kept a low profile.

Two sources told Reuters the meetings include senior security officials, though Jerusalem has not publicly acknowledged the talks. Earlier this month, Syrian interim president and former al-Qaeda operative Ahmed al-Sharaa confirmed indirect talks with Israel aimed at de-escalation. The admission followed a Reuters report that the UAE was mediating the discussions.

Israel, which has controlled the Golan Heights since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, expanded its military footprint in the region after Assad's fall, citing concern over the extremist background of Syria's new leadership. For years, Israel maintained a campaign of regular airstrikes and lobbied the U.S. to keep Syria decentralized and weak. Those strikes have now all but ceased, and criticism from Israeli officials has markedly cooled.

A turning point came on the 14th of May, when President Trump met with al-Shurah in Riyadh, as we previously reported here on the PDB. The meeting signaled a dramatic realignment of U.S.-Syria policy, undercutting Israel's strategy of exploiting Syria's fragmentation and prompting a reassessment in Jerusalem.

According to the regional intelligence source, Trump's engagement opened the door to possible accommodation between Israel and Syria. Shifting focus away from fragmentation, U.S. policy now appears aimed at stabilization, even under Islamist control.

Currently, the talks are centered on joint security arrangements aimed at preventing accidental flare-ups and reducing Israeli incursions into Syrian border villages. While two sources suggested the discussions could pave the way for broader political understandings, one person familiar with the talks clarified, quote, "For now, they are just about peace."

Following their meeting in Riyadh, Trump hinted that al-Sharah may be open to formal ties with Israel in the future, although he acknowledged that such a move would take time. For his part, Shara has not confirmed any intent to normalize relations. Instead, he voiced support for a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement, which established a UN-monitored buffer zone in the Golan Heights, indicating that de-escalation, rather than diplomacy,

remains the immediate goal. All right, coming up next in the back of the brief, a fascinating development. A nationwide trucker strike hits its sixth day in Iran, with arrests mounting and unrest spreading. I'll have those details next.

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In today's Back of the Brief, a potential warning sign of growing unrest in Iran. A nationwide trucker strike has entered its sixth day and is now affecting more than 100 cities across the country. What began as a protest over freight rates and deteriorating working conditions has rapidly morphed into something much larger: a visible backlash against the Islamic Republic's economic mismanagement and a flashpoint for broader discontent.

Truckers are the backbone of Iran's domestic supply chain, not unlike in the U.S. And when they stop moving, well, the country feels it fast. Markets are seeing delivery delays, fuel stations in some areas are reporting shortages, and daily commerce is being disrupted. But instead of addressing the root issues, Iranian authorities are cracking down. Oh, well, who would have thought that the Iranian regime's response

would be a crackdown. I, for one, am very surprised. In the southern city of Shiraz, multiple striking drivers were arrested over the weekend. The provincial prosecutor confirmed the arrests and warned that truckers who obstruct the delivery of goods and cargo will be dealt with seriously.

Other reports suggest similar detentions are happening in cities across the country, with security forces being deployed to monitor key transportation hubs and highways. The regime's response is drawing sharp criticism from human rights groups and only appears to be fueling more anger. This protest is especially significant because, well, it cuts across Iran's fragmented political and social lines.

Truck drivers aren't activists or political dissidents. They're working-class citizens who have long kept their heads down. But with inflation soaring, the currency collapsing, and fuel prices skyrocketing, even those on the sidelines are stepping forward. And that, of course, is what has the regime worried. Whether it's Iran or it's China or Russia, the one thing the leaders fear is an unhappy and restless population.

Now, protests in Iran admittedly are not new, but they often burn out quickly due to brutal repression, isolation, or lack of broad-based participation. What's different here is the scale and coordination. Strikes are spreading quickly, and drivers are using social media to document their movement and call for solidarity. Observers say the strike could evolve into a wider anti-regime protest, especially if other labor sectors begin to join in.

For now, the Iranian regime, the IRGC, and the mullahs are trying to contain the situation through arrests, intimidation, and promises of investigation. But the damage may already be done. The regime's economic policies have pushed ordinary Iranians to the brink, and this trucker strike may be the clearest signal yet that the ground is shifting beneath them.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Wednesday, the 28th of May. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com. And remember what your mom said. If you want to listen to the show ad-free, just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. And of course, as you know, your mom is always right. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then...

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