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click here and sign up & earn money https://share.swagb.net/Trump2 The ​Israel-Hamas war in ​Gaza has escalated, with ​Israeli forces conducting heavy bombardments and launching an expanded ground operation against Hamas. ​Israeli ground troops are reportedly battling Hamas fighters in various locations. The airstrikes and ground operations have resulted in a near-total communications blackout in Gaza, making it difficult for international media and aid agencies to maintain contact with staff in the area. The situation in Gaza is described as a "ball of fire" due to the intense bombardment. Hospitals in Gaza are operating at maximum capacity, unable to take in new patients while also sheltering thousands of civilians. The conflict has resulted in a high civilian death toll, with a majority of those killed being women and children. There are also concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with displaced residents seeking shelter in overcrowded UN schools and shelters. Aid organizations have condemned the internet blackout, which hampers their ability to coordinate relief efforts.

In the wake of an unprecedented three-week void without a House speaker, Republicans on Wednesday elected Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson. While he is recognized within some Washington circles for his deeply conservative stances, Johnson, who was most recently the House GOP conference's vice chair, remains relatively obscure beyond the Capitol. But prior to joining Congress in 2017, he spent years building his career and profile by denouncing gay people and fighting against gay rights, which he staunchly opposes, citing his Christian faith and views on liberty. An ABC News examination of public records, news reports and documents shows the extent to which Johnson dedicated earlier phases of his career to limiting gay rights, including same-sex marriage and health care access, and through anti-gay activism on college campuses. In comments from over fifteen years ago, long before he became a lawmaker and while acting as an attorney and spokesman for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a Christian advocacy group, Johnson described homosexuals as "sinful" and "destructive" and argued support for homosexuality could lead to support for pedophilia. He also authored op-eds that argued for criminalizing gay sex. "There is clearly no 'right to sodomy' in the Constitution," Johnson wrote in a 2003 column in a Louisiana newspaper. "And the right of 'privacy of the home' has never placed all activity with the home outside the bounds of the criminal law." In 2005, during nationwide Day of Silence protests aimed at addressing anti-gay bias in schools, Johnson and the ADF spearheaded a counterprotest dubbed the "Day of Truth." Defending the counterprotest, Johnson at the time said anti-gay protesters were "sharing the truth out of love and compassion," adding that the "truth" was

BY TARA COPP AND LOLITA C. BALDOR Updated 11:33 PM EDT, October 19, 2023 Share WASHINGTON (AP) — With tensions spiking in the Middle East, U.S. forces in the region are facing increasing threats as a Navy warship shot down missiles appearing to head toward Israel Thursday and American bases in Iraq and Syria were repeatedly targeted by drone attacks. Later, a U.S. official said there had been a rocket attack early Friday morning on U.S. and coalition forces at a diplomatic support center near the Baghdad International Airport. Initial assessments indicated two rockets were fired, the official said, noting that one was intercepted by a counter-rocket system and the other struck an empty storage facility. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public, said no casualties were reported. Earlier, the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer in the northern Red Sea, intercepted three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Houthi forces in Yemen. The action by the Carney potentially represented the first shots by the U.S. military in the defense of Israel in this conflict.

In the fourth episode of our series on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Iran warns Israel of a regional escalation if a ground offensive is launched in Gaza. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns that such a move would have "far-reaching implications," and would constitute a "major strategic error."

Why you can trust Sky News Israeli soldiers readied Israeli soldiers readied their tanks in a dusty patch of countryside close to Gaza. Under a large tree, more troops gathered, armed and ready for combat. The mood seemed relaxed - a calm perhaps before any potential order to push forward. Follow live: Gazans told 'go south if you want to live' These servicemen know such a move would come at huge personal risk - urban warfare on the streets of Gaza against Hamas militants who will have been preparing as well. Yet, one soldier, signalled that fury at the brutality of last week's terror attack by Hamas against families across this rural stretch of southern Israel helped to strengthen his nerve. "We are very motivated," he said, a rifle hanging over his shoulder.

ARAB AL-ARAMSHE, Israel — From his mountaintop perch above a valley straddling Israel and Lebanon, Mohammad Mgheis has watched no fewer than four wars unfold. There was the 1967 Middle East War, when he was a small boy and his family scuttled from one place to another to avoid the bombs. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a pair of Israeli Phantom warplanes, their tails aflame, streaked above his head one night like shooting stars before crashing into the valley. In 1983, during the first Lebanon war, he hid as Palestinian fighters in the valley faced off against Israeli troops arrayed on his side of the mountain. He managed to survive the second Lebanon war, in 2006, as well. “Ever since I became conscious of the world, there’s been conflict here. Always,” said Mgheis, 62, his eyes lingering on the houses in the Lebanese village of Dhayra just across the border.