KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Ugandan authorities sought and won parliamentary approval Thursday to deploy troops to Gaza as part of the international force proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace to secure the territory following the devastating Israel-Hamas war.
The successful motion, brought by the defense minister, is Uganda’s first public indication of its willingness to join the International Stabilization Force for Gaza. Morocco also has pledged troops for the mission.
It was not immediately clear why Uganda agreed to deploy in Gaza, or if there was a quid pro quo involved, and some opposition lawmakers immediately questioned Uganda’s motive in the decision. Lawmaker Hassan Kirumira said the deployment would raise “diplomatic concerns” for a country that is a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The “big question” for supporters of the deployment to clarify is: "On which side is our army going to fight?” he said in parliament.
Defense Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka, seeking the support of lawmakers, cited Uganda’s military capabilities stemming from its peacekeeping deployments in countries such as Somalia.
The force, proposed by Trump’s Board of Peace in February, would be led by American Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, who said in May that the 20,000-strong force would ensure “future prosperity and enduring peace."
Last week Trump announced a deal for Hamas to disarm and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza. According to that deal, the International Stabilization Force would be deployed to Gaza after the completion of a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops.
The agreement, part of a broader ceasefire deal reached last year, calls for Israel to cease its military operations and for Hamas and its allies in Gaza to halt all militant activity. The agreement also laid out in general terms what the decommissioning process would look like.
After the text of the agreement was released, Israel said it had “serious security concerns” and that it shared those with the U.S.
Israeli attacks have killed 1,250 people since the ceasefire deal was reached in October, an agreement that ended major fighting in the Israel-Hamas war that had raged for two years.
Palestinians inspect the scene of an Israeli airstrike near al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Sarah Hodel and Rachel Koehler arrived at Robin Roberts Stadium more than four hours before the first game of the Women's Professional Baseball League. Once inside, Hodel stopped periodically for pictures as she walked along the concourse.
She wanted to savor every moment.
“Back in high school I was on my speech team and my informative speech was on women in baseball,” said Hodel, a 43-year-old athletic trainer from Duluth, Minnesota. “So as soon as I saw this happening a couple years ago it was my goal to come.”
That moment finally arrived on Saturday night, when Mo’ne Davis and the Los Angeles Queens rallied for a 10-8 victory over Denae Benites and the New York Heights in a rainy debut for the first women's professional baseball league in the United States in almost 30 years.
“Growing up I played softball,” said Koehler, 33, of St. Paul, Minnesota. “I wanted to play baseball because going professional was always like the dream, but there (were) no opportunities. ... So now that that’s actually an opportunity and something that girls can look up to I think is amazing.”
Maggie Foxx picked up the league's first hit on a two-run single for Los Angeles in the first inning. Benites connected for the WPBL's first homer, a solo drive to center in the bottom of the fourth.
The Queens trailed 8-4 before scoring two runs in the sixth and four more in wet and windy conditions for the final frame of the seven-inning contest.
“When I walked on the field I started crying because of how much this moment meant, and how much it meant to everybody,” Foxx said. “It means everything to us.”
A steady rain fell for much of the day, soaking the 101-year-old home of the WPBL's inaugural season. But much of the crowd of more than 4,000 started lining up hours before the game, hoping to grab a Davis bobblehead on the way to the metal bleachers.
The line for the main merchandise booth stretched all the way to the outfield along one side of the ballpark.
“Having a daughter, it’s really exciting to give her exposure to female professional athletes,” said Antonietta Mabry, 47, an accountant from Columbus, Ohio. “It’s such a rare thing, so it’s really cool to give her some really positive female role models and examples.”
Mabry was accompanied by her husband, Jason, a 48-year-old auditor, and their daughter, Rosalee. The 9-year-old Mabry got her glove autographed by San Francisco second baseman Amanda Gianelloni.
The Firebells and Boston Hunters — the league's other two teams — play on Sunday. A couple players from each team helped the grounds crew pull the tarp off the field after the rain subsided.
“I’m excited to be here because I play softball and I really like it and it’s really cool that I get to see professional women play,” Rosalee Mabry said.
The WPBL paid tribute to the past, present and future of women's baseball during a rain-delayed pregame ceremony. The crowd cheered as the lineups for the Queens and Heights were announced.
But the biggest ovation of the night was for 99-year-old Maybelle Blair, who threw a ceremonial first pitch to San Francisco's Kelsie Whitmore, one of the biggest stars of the WPBL. Blair, who serves on a WPBL advisory board, played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which ran from 1943-54 and inspired the 1992 movie, “A League of Their Own.”
“I think that's pretty incredible,” Benites said. “Maybelle's been sticking with us since the beginning of this journey. She's paved a path for us, really. ... She's a special person and I'm so happy that she got to make it out here and do that today."
Lindsey Keirsey, 42, a high school history teacher in Fenton, Missouri, said she is obsessed with the AAGPBL and “A League of Their Own.” She attended the game with her husband, Drew, 43, and their four children, Hadley, 17, Nolan, 15, Elam, 11, and Abbott, 10.
“We go to St. Louis Cardinals games all the time,” Hadley Keirsey said. “As much as I love baseball, I think it’s an amazing opportunity to see so many women be able to play and just break ground like that. Even though it’s just a sport, I think that if we can do things like this and let women play in sports like this, women can do so many more things.”
This story was first published on Aug. 1, 2026. It was updated on Aug. 6, 2026 to correct that Denae Benites’ home run was a solo shot.
AP Sports: https://apnews.com/sports
A young fan blows a kiss to New York Heights' Kylee Lahners (22) before the inaugural Women's Professional Baseball League game against the Los Angeles Queens, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Lexie Knight)
A fan reacts while the tarps are removed from the field before the inaugural Women's Professional Baseball League game between the Los Angeles Queens and the New York Heights, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Lexie Knight)
Former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player Maybelle Blair, left, and Los Angeles Queens' Elodie O'Sullivan, right, share a moment before the inaugural Women's Professional Baseball League game against the New York Heights, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Lexie Knight)
Fans wait for the inaugural Women's Professional Baseball League game between the Los Angeles Queens and the New York Heights, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Lexie Knight)
Fans cheer before the inaugural Women's Professional Baseball League game between the Los Angeles Queens and the New York Heights, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Lexie Knight)
