conflict enters a dangerous new phase of urban warfare, and after prime minister netanyahu said israel will control gaza's security indefinitely after the war. the reaction today from the white house. richard engel inside israel. also tonight, the investigation under way into the death of a 69-year-old jewish man after an altercation at opposing war protests in california. a suspect identified but no arrests made. why police are asking the public for help. it's election night in america. the key races to watch. abortion on the ballot in ohio. governor seats up for grabs, and what it could mean for the 2024 presidential election. the unprecedented testimony. the special counsel investigating hunter biden, speaking to house lawmakers behind closed doors. what he told him about the probe into president biden's son. the deadly crash as super fog covered the highway near new orleans. and five years after the deadliest wildfire in california history, the remarkable rebirth in the town of paradise. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt reporting tonight from miami. >> good evening from miami, where we are preparing to host tomorrow night's republican presidential primary debate. but ahead of that, elections are under way across america today that may offer important clues in the 2024 race. we'll get to that shortly. but our top story tonight comes from israel and gaza. exactly one month since the hamas terror attack that shook the world, israelis are mourning those they lost and holding in their hearts those still missing. the hostages who are being held inside hamas-controlled gaza. tonight, israel reporting its forces are now doing battle inside gaza city. it's still early in israel's ground campaign to defeat hamas, but its leaders are already weighing a post-hamas future for the embattled territory. prime minister benjamin netanyahu suggesting israel might assume security responsibility in gaza for a period of time. chief foreign correspondent richard engel explains. >> reporter: the israeli military says it's fighting inside gaza city tonight. releasing this video of soldiers on the hunt for hamas. israeli prime minister netanyahu says israel will take overall security responsibility in gaza for an unspecified period to prevent another hamas attack, prompting this response from the white house. >> the president maintains his position that a reoccupation by israeli forces is not the right thing to do. >> reporter: but israel is nowhere close to controlling gaza. in jerusalem at the sacred western wall, israelis tonight mourn the 1,400 people hamas murdered a month ago, gunning them down in their homes, as they danced at a festival, and tried to escape. gathered tonight were also families of the 240 hostages still held by hamas, including rachel goldberg's 23-year-old son hersh. >> we cannot forget, there are 240 people buried but very much alive under gaza. the hostages have been underground in gaza for 32 days. >> reporter: speaking in hebrew with eli david, we joined his family on friday for a shabbat dinner as they prayed for the safe returns of their son and brother. do you have a message to your brother? >> we can feel that he is strong. >> we're waiting for him. you have to stay brave and strong because it's only a matter of time. you will be back home. >> reporter: in gaza, the perspective couldn't be different. israel's air and ground offensive is turning cities into wastelands and many palestinians say israel is carrying out its revenge against 2.3 million people who can't leave the gaza strip. today our camera crews saw more grief and more injured children. ahmed al najar says several of his family members were just killed by an israeli air strike. >> all my family was inside. more than 27 people are inside. i hear mercy to the whole world for civilians. we have nothing to do with what has happened to them except we are palestinians. >> reporter: one month on and this war still seems to be in its early stages. >> and richard, i know there is also a new headline tonight about the war's impact and the people of gaza. >> the u.n. said today 70% of gazans have been displaced from their homes since the start of the war. that's about 1.5 million people, lester. >> all right, richard, thank you. in southern california, authorities are investigating the death of a jewish man after a confrontation with a pro-palestinian supporter. it happened during one of the many protests tied to the israel-hamas war. miguel almaguer has more. let me warn you, some of the video in this report is disturbing. >> reporter: when police and paramedics arrived on scene, 69-year-old paul kessler was alert but badly injured, suffering from trauma to the back of his head, later succumbing to his injuries, the coroner says his cause of death was due to a blunt force head injury consistent with a fall, which came after a confrontation with a counterprotester. >> investigators have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime, and this is being investigated as a homicide. >> reporter: the deadly incident unfolded sunday outside los angeles when kessler, who was part of a pro-israel group had an encounter with a man taking part in the pro-palestinian rally. >> the victim is an older male, was knocked out at the protest. >> reporter: how the two became entangled is still under investigation. before he died, kessler spoke to investigators. how much information was the victim able to share with you from the hospital? >> i'm not at liberty to discuss that part of the investigation at this time. >> reporter: investigators say they're asking for videos like this and witnesses from the group of roughly 100 to step forward. jonathan oswachs who joined kessler at the rally says the 69-year-old was assaulted by a man carrying a megaphone. >> i didn't know it was paul that went down. i just saw the megaphone come flying. >> reporter: expressing deep sadness and concern, l.a.'s council on american islamic relations called on the public to refrain from jumping to conclusions. the nation's first deadly encounter amid duelling protests comes after a troubling string of incidents. investigators at stanford university say an arab muslim student was run down by a car in a suspected act of hate. in arizona, a tempe man was arrested after threatening to execute a local rabbi. since the war erupted in israel, the anti-defamation league says a nearly 400% increase in anti-semitic incidents has been reported across the u.s. >> people often react quickly and emotionally. we also need to calm down a little bit. >> miguel joins us now from the intersection where all this unfolded. miguel, what else has the sheriff said about the investigation? >> lester, the sheriff says investigators have given conflicting information from witnesses as to what happened here, including who started this altercation. as for the man who has been labeled a suspect, he is said to be to be cooperating with police. he is one of many people who called 911. local investigators say they're also stepping up patrols at local synagogues and mosques. lester? >> all right, miguel almaguer, thank you. also tonight, we're watching some key votes on this election day that could be bellwethers for the 2024 presidential election just one year from today. dasha burns reports on an issue front and center in several states. >> reporter: tonight, abortion rights taking center stage with multiple races testing its political power to motive voters. at issue in ohio, whether or not to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution. >> we believe that everyone should have the right to protect as much as possible. and the preborn human should have their right to life protected. >> reporter: it's been a bitter ballot, claiming the ballot language is intentionally confusing. coming off a string of election wins since roe v. wade was overturned. democrats hoping the issue motives their base amid president biden's dismal approval ratings. >> women all across this country are being loud and clear we do not support the overturn of roe v. wade. >> reporter: and a major test in virginia where control of the state legislature is up for grabs. >> the number one issue we hear across the commonwealth is the concerns about biden's inflation, and that it's stealing hard-earned money. >> reporter: a republican win would raise the national profile of governor glenn youngkin. republican control could also clear the way for youngkin and the legislature to implement a 15-week abortion ban, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. meanwhile, in kentucky, republican attorney general daniel cameron -- >> the people of kentucky are going to make this judgment and decision. >> reporter: hoping to unseat a rare southern democratic governor andy beshear by tying him to president biden. beshear has leaned heavily into the abortion issue as part of his campaign, bashing the state's near total ban. and lester, we're also watching mississippi, where democrats are making an aggressive push to unseat incumbent governor tate reeves in a state that hasn't gone blue in nearly two decades. his democratic challenger brandon presley is a cousin of rock legend elvis. lester? >> dasha burns tonight, thank you. i'm joined by kristen welker. how much of tonight's results will be a road map or perhaps a prediction of what we could see in 2024? >> it's a good question, lester. we could get some important clues tonight. democrats are looking squarely at the issue of abortion. dasha just talked about this. how much does it motive their base? does it continue to bring victories like they did in the midterms. republicans say look, 2024 is going to be different. the focus will be on president biden's performance, and polls show voters in swing states' top concerns are still the economy and inflation. polls also show most americans don't approve of president biden's handling of those issues. so tonight we will get a snapshot of where voters are right now that will be a more complex picture in 2024, that's for sure. all of this creating a critical backdrop to tomorrow night's debate. >> all right, kristen. we want to remind folks to join us for the republican primary debate tomorrow night on nbc. the war in the middle east could be shaking up the 2024 presidential race in one key battleground state. the detroit area is home to the largest concentration of arab americans in the country, and many now say they are turning against president biden. gabe gutierrez is there. >> reporter: mohammed abu hussein is a teenager in gaza, and on the minds of mike and nadia ayub. >> he has become a son to me. we love him. we care about him. >> reporter: a few years ago, the couple hosted mohammed at their home in dearborn, michigan, where he received a prosthetic leg. now they say he lives in a refugee camp. the site of recent air strikes. >> it's very tough. i've broken down at times looking at those pictures. >> reporter: since the war broke out, they've been furious with the u.s.'s response and want a ceasefire. did you vote for biden in 2020? >> yes. >> reporter: do you regret that? >> i do. he hasn't stepped up for the palestinians. >> reporter: here in dearborn, arab americans make up more than half the population. congresswoman rashida tlaib who represents the area is accusing president biden of supporting genocide in gaza. >> we will remember in 2024. >> i think biden and just about every american politician has blood on their hands. >> reporter: in 2020, biden won michigan by just 154,000 votes with more than 300,000 arab americans in the state, the voting bloc could make a critical difference in 2024. >> i'd be hard-pressed to find a single member of my community right now today that would vote for biden. >> reporter: a new poll out this week shows former president trump, the gop front-runner, beating president biden in michigan. >> people are very angered and they feel betrayed by the biden administration. they told us we had to save america from donald trump, and now we feel like we have to save palestine from joe biden. >> reporter: omar is an activist who says he begrudgingly backed biden in 2020. >> as things stand right now, i'm voting third party. but i wouldn't be surprised if you see a lot of people turn to trump as well. it's not about trump. it's about a protest. it's about a vote to spite the democratic party. >> reporter: a white house official tells me there has been a concerted outreach to arab-american leaders here in the u.s. the biden administration has been calling for humanitarian pauses in gaza, but says a full ceasefire would only help hamas. lester? >> gabe, thank you. in 60 seconds, the special counsel investigating hunter biden testifies before congress. we'll have late details. plus, a man with a long gun is arrested near the capitol. we'll have that after this. okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. yay - woo hoo! ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. (♪♪) pain hits fast. so get relief fast. only tylenol rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast for fast pain relief. and now, get max strength topical pain relief precisely where you need it. with new tylenol precise. on capitol hill today, the special counsel investigating the president's son hunter biden testifying before a house committee behind closed doors. ryan nobles joins us now from washington. ryan, why was this appearance so important? >> well, lester, david weiss' appearance was unprecedented. a special counsel has never before appeared before a congressional committee in the midst of an investigation. and it comes during a time where two irs whistle-blowers testified that weiss was prevented from bringing charges against hunter biden. but under oath, weiss made it clear that wasn't the case, saying, quote, at no time was i blocked or otherwise prevented from pursuing charges or taking the steps necessary in the investigation. now republicans were frustrated that weiss would not answer questions specifically related to the investigation itself. now this testimony comes at a time where republicans are ramping up their impeachment inquiry into president biden. both hunter and the president's brother james are expected to receive subpoenas some time this week. lester? >> and ryan, it's been busy up there today. there was a security scare on capitol hill. what can you tell us about that? >> yeah, lester, that's right. capitol police apprehended a georgia man who was walking between the capitol campus and union station after there were reports that he was carrying what appeared to be a rifle. when police approached him, they were forced to tase the man because he would not respond to their calls. when they actually apprehended him, they discovered this, this rifle that the capitol police put a picture out of late today. now at no point was anyone at the capitol threatened, and capitol police say this was an isolated incident. lester? >> ryan nobles, thank you. up next tonight, it was supposed to be the office of the future. as wework files for bankruptcy, what happens to workers in the meantime? not flossing well? then add the whoa! of listerine to your routine. new science shows listerine is 5x more effective than floss at reducing plaque above the gumline. for a cleaner, healthier mouth. ahhhhh. listerine. feel the whoa! ugh, this guy again... pops! ay son! ya got a little somethin' on yuh face. needed a quick shave. quick shave? respect the process! it ain't my dad's razor, dad, it's from gillettelabs. gillette...labs? gillette's ultimate shaving experience. this green bar releases trapped hairs from my face. gamechanga! while the flexdisc contours to it. lookin' smooth. feelin' even smoother. how 'bout hookin' me up with some gillettelabs? check your texts. you're the best. nah, you're the best. the best a man can get keeps getting bettuh. the next generation of shaving is gillettelabs. my a1c was up here; now, it's down with rybelsus®. the best ahis a1c? get keeps getting bettuh. it's down with rybelsus®. my doctor told me rybelsus® lowered a1c better than a leading branded pill and that people taking rybelsus® lost more weight. i got to my a1c goal and lost some weight too. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. need to get your a1c down? you may pay as little as $10 per prescription. (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪) get exclusive offers on select new volvo models. contact your volvo retailer to learn more. in louisiana, a dense super fog rolled into a part of new orleans early today. wildfire smoke combined with fog reduced visibility and caused multiple accidents that killed one passenger. two weeks ago seven people died in a massive pileup, or a series pileups near new orleans. now to the stunning collapse of a company that hoped to redefine how we work. christine romans on what went wrong. >> reporter: with its eccentric founder, its disruptive business model and an ethos of good vibes, wework was once the country's most valuable start-up, worth $47 billion, promising to change how and where people worked. >> the solution for the new work environment. >> reporter: but today the company declaring bankruptcy, asking a judge to get out of its expensive leases. wework started in 2010 with co-founder adam neumann's vision. >> being part of something bigger than yourself inspires people to work harder, spend more time at work, and just have fun doing it. >> reporter: think cappuccinos, peg and ping-pong. it grew fast around the world. but behind it all, long-term expensive leases. after a botched attempt to go public in 2019, the board showed neumann the door. then covid hit, decimating an already floundering company built around people in an office. in the early days, the 6'5" israeli american entrepreneur captured the attention of the media and wall street. did investors kind of fall under the spell of this charismatic quirky founder? >> i think investors will look back and try to understand what happened here. the fundamentals in the business model never matched the vision. >> i say work space. >> reporter: wework's rise and fall so dramatic, it inspired a tv show. >> are you crazy enough? >> i may be. >> reporter: neumann today called the bankruptcy disappointing and said it's been challenging to watch from the sidelines, adding "i believe that with the right strategy and team, a reorganization will enable wework to emerge successfully." the company says for now its spaces will remain open as it works to restructure. christine romans, nbc news, new york. and next, paradise regained in california. rsv can severely affect the lungs and lower airways. but i'm protected with arexvy. arexvy is a vaccine used to prevent lower respiratory disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. rsv can be serious for those over 60, including those with asthma, diabetes, copd, and certain other conditions. but i'm protected. arexvy is proven to be over 82% effective in preventing lower respiratory disease from rsv and over 94% effective in those with these health conditions. 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