secretary of state blinken. we ask is there clear evidence to support israel's claim that hamas has a hidden command center on the hospital grounds. also tonight, the death of a jewish protester near los angeles. the professor now under arrest as wild protests erupt in san francisco and washington. the verdict in the federal trial of david depape for breaking into nancy pelosi's home and beating her husband with a hammer. the scathing house ethics report on congressman george santos, finding the republican blatantly stole campaign funds to pay for things like botox, only fans access, luxury items, and trips. what he is now saying about his future in congress. hip-hop mogul sean diddy combs accused of rape and abuse. the new lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend. and golf superstar rory mcilroy, the one in a million shot landing right in a spectator's lap. how this all played out. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening and welcome. for weeks, israel and the u.s. have warned hamas is using civilians as human shields, including hiding a command center beneath hospitals. after its second raid in 24 hours on gaza's largest hospital, israeli officials are showing video of a tunnel they say they discovered under the complex. but so far no clear public evidence of a hamas command node, which both israel and american intelligence believe exists. despite the video showing ak-47s, ammo and other weaponry, hamas and hospital officials deny the al-shifa hospital has a dual purpose. as that hunt goes on, so does the search for hostages. and today a grim discovery confirmed. the body of an israeli mother who had been kidnapped from her home. raf sanchez has the latest. >> reporter: this, israel says, is the proof it's been searching for. releasing video today of what it claims is a hamas tunnel shaft on the grounds of al-shifa, gaza's largest hospital. nbc news cannot independently verify that claim, but we can confirm this opening is located near the hospital. >> this is what hamas is trying to hide from you. >> reporter: the announcement came after israel faced a day of intense international condemnation for raiding the hospital, where staff are struggling to keep premature babies alive without power for their incubator, and civilian bodies are being buried in mass graves. >> there is an ak-47. >> reporter: both israel and the u.s. say hamas operates a command center below al-shifa. but the raid first turned up only sparse signs of militants. israel says there will be more evidence to come. the israeli military also says it found the body of yehudit weiss. a mother of five taken hostage on october 7th. her husband schmuel was murdered during the terror attack. israel releasing no details on the cause of death, but says her body was found in a building adjacent to the hospital. all week we've been calling doctors there by phone. >> the people who are in al-shifa hospital have been shot in the chest. >> reporter: but tonight phone and internet service is down across the strip as telecom companies say they have no fuel left amid israel's siege. our team sending this footage of wounded palestinian children just before the blackout. and overnight, nbc's peter alexander pressing president biden. >> the hostages you said were coming. what did you mean said we're coming for you? >> what i meant was i'm doing everything in my hour to get you out. five, six times a day, i'm working on how i can be helpful in getting the hostages released. >> reporter: and tonight fears the violence in gaza will spread. hamas claiming responsibility for this shooting attack near jerusalem that left an israeli soldier dead. israel says three gunmen were also killed. >> and raf, israel is saying tonight it may be closing in on hamas leaders. what do we know? >> that's right, lester. israel says it attacked and damaged two underground sites where senior hamas military and political figures were hiding. still no sign, though, of their number one target, hamas leader ya-ya sinwar. raf sanchez tonight, thank you. after meeting with china's xi jinping, president biden said today a stable relationship with china is good for the world. peter alexander is in san francisco, and peter, the white house hailing the meeting as constructive. but a blunt comment by president biden is also making some headlines here. >> lester, following that four-hour summit, president biden did tout progress in this strained relationship. the announcement on resuming military talks and cooperation on combatting fentanyl were expected. but what caught me by surprise, as you noted, was the president's answer when asked whether he believed president xi was a dictator, something he called the chinese leader last summer. listen. >> well, look, he is. i mean, he is a dictator in the sense that he is a guy who runs a country that is communist country. >> back then, the reaction in beijing was furious. this time a much more muted response. but lester, from trade to taiwan, there are still many major differences for the two sides to resolve. lester? >> well, peter, thanks. let me welcome secretary of state antony blinken. mr. secretary, are you at all concerned the president's reference to president xi as a dictator could undo any progress from yesterday's meeting? i guess the question is how sensitive is this relationship at this stage? >> lester, it's no surprise that -- and i don't think it will be a news to anyone that we have very different systems. and the president always speaks candidly, and he speaks for us. but the importance is what we were able to achieve in yesterday's meeting. we haven't had military-to-military contact for over a years. we reestablished that. second, we have confirmation from china that it will take action and is already taking action to crack down on the companies in china that are providing the chemical ingredients that go into making fentanyl. that's going make a real difference in the lives of virtually every american community. >> secretary blinken, if i can ask you about the war in gaza. >> go ahead, please. >> israel is showing weapons it says were recovered at the al-shifa hospital, video of what may be a tunnel. but it's clear that the evidence doesn't necessarily point to a hamas command and control center as israel and the u.s. have maintained. what's happening there? >> two things. one, exactly why there should be assault rifles located next to an mri machine escapes me. and this is compelling evidence of the fact that hamas embeds in itself in civilian infrastructure of one kind or another. we have our own information that command and control nodes are located either in or under hospitals. there are several of them. and that is something that's really monstrous in what hamas has done to try to embed itself amongst civilians. >> but based on what you've seen, does it warrant the bombardment that we've seen, the level of bombardment against the hospitals? >> well, these are -- what's going on now are ground operations, not bombardments. and as i said before, we have seen far too many palestinian civilians killed. and we've been urging and israel all along to do everything possible to minimize civilian casualties. they've opened up corridors so people can get out of harm's way. they've been bringing supplies into the hospital as they've tried very deliberately to clear them of any hamas fighters. and all of this is incredibly hard. >> what is your level of confidence that we could see more hostages released soon? >> we're working this intensively, and we have for weeks. i remain hopeful, but the less said the better. >> secretary blinken, thank you so much for spending time with us tonight. >> good to be with you. thank you. now to california where a federal jury found the man who attacked paul pelosi guilty on all accounts. steve patterson is in san francisco with late details. >> what's going on, man? >> reporter: tonight a guilty verdict for the man accused of break into the home of nancy pelosi and assaulting her husband with a hammer. >> what is going on right now? >> reporter: after just eight hours of deliberation, the jury unanimously found that david depape guilty on both federal charges. >> what this guilty verdict on all counts sends is a clear message that regardless of what your beliefs are, what you cannot do is physically attack a member of congress or their immediate family. >> reporter: during the trial, prosecutors painted depape as a man warped by conspiracy theories like qanon and pizzagate. his public offender agreed, but argued he was not guilty because the attack was totally unrelated to nancy pelosi's federal duties. when 83-year-old paul pelosi took the stand, he recounted the horror of last october's home invasion. he says after the attack, he remembers waking up in a pool of blood. in a shocking move, the defense countered by calling depape to the stand, arguing he is a man so radicalized by disinformation, depape says the pelosi home was just one stop on a long hit list, and attacking pelosi was a desperate act as police arrived, adding paul was never a target. but tonight the federal jury disagreed, and depape, who is a canadian citizen, faces up to 50 years behind bars. and lester, today's verdict was just the beginning. depape also faces state charges, including attempted murder, burglary, and false imprisonment. proceedings for that case expected to be under way attend of the month. lester? >> steve patterson, thanks. tonight embattled congressman george santos, accused of fabricating much of his background says he will not run for reelection after the house ethics committee issued a damning new report on his conduct. ryan nobles has the latest. >> reporter: tonight embattled representative george santos' days in congress may be numbered. >> well, he should be expelled. what he has done is violate the public trust, engage in election fraud. >> reporter: this after the bipartisan house ethics committee released a blistering report outlining a long list of allegations against the new york congressman. >> the level of misconduct here, criminal conduct is off the charts. i've never seen anything like the. >> reporter: among the new revelations, that santos used campaign funds to pay for his personal rent, to take out cash from an atm at a casino, to spend lavishly at designer stores, for cosmetic treatments like botox, and on the website only fans, which is known for its adult content. santos already faces a lengthy criminal indictment. the ethics committee referred their findings to the doj, which could add to his list of charges. as he left washington, santos was defiant. >> i think i said this very clear to you. i will take whatever comes my way the way it comes. i have no concerns. >> reporter: today he announced he would not seek reelection, but vowed to stay in his seat, quote, up until i am allowed. but that may not be for long, as a flood of members who once said santos once deserved due process before any talk of expulsion are now ready to kick him out. >> the ethics committee fond he did not cooperate with the investigation. and i think he has been given the fair due process now. >> reporter: and for his fellow new york republicans, that vote cannot come soon enough. >> the ethics report is not really going to change your mind on george santos? >> no. george santos is a fraud. he should not be a member of congress. >> reporter: a vote to expel santos could happen soon after the thanksgiving holiday. it will require two-thirds of the house in order to pass. lester? >> ryan, thanks. also tonight, music mogul sean diddy combs accused of sex trafficking and sexual assault in a lawsuit filed in federal court here in new york. chloe melas is here. chloe, what more do we know about this? >> the lawsuit filed by cassandra ventura, known by her stage name cassie, met combs when she was 19 years old. she was later signed to combs' record label and the two had been romantically involved. she alleges combs not only raped her, but over the course of a decade physically abused her, as well as lured her into a drug-fueled lifestyle. ventura says after years in silence and darkness, she is finally ready to tell her story. now combs' lawyer said in a statement his client vehemently denies the allegations calling them baseless and outrageous. and that ventura has been demanding $30 million, threatening to write a book about their relationship. >> all right, chloe, thanks very much. in 60 seconds, increasing threats and violent protests tied to the israel-hamas war. what is being done to cool the climate of fear on college campuses and beyond, right after this. i cosuffer with psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis. i was on a journey for a really long time to find some relief. cosentyx works for me. cosentyx helps real people get real relief from the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis or psoriasis. serious allergic reactions, severe skin reactions that look like eczema, and an increased risk of infections, some fatal, have occurred. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to or if ibd symptoms develop or worsen. i move so much better because of cosentyx. ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx. a wild scene on san francisco's bay bridge. dozens of anti-war protesters arrested after blocking traffic. and today we learned of an arrest in the death of a jewish protester near los angeles as tensions rise from coast-to-coast. here is julia ainsley. >> reporter: it was a shocking moment at a california protest last month. a jewish man, paul kessler, lying on the ground, knocked down during what witnesses say was a physical altercation with a pro-palestinian protester. kessler later died, and tonight, police arresting loay alnaji, a computer science professor for involuntary manslaughter. and overnight in violence in washington. pro-palestinian demonstrators clashing with capitol police outside democratic party headquarters. officials say officers suffered minor injuries, including from being pepper sprayed and punched. all of it as tensions are boiling over on college campuses too. at cooper union, jewish students huddling in a library as protesters pound on the door. this week the fbi director warning anti-semitism in the u.s. is soaring since the hamas terror attacks. >> the biggest chunk of the threats that have been reported into us by a good margin are threats to the jewish community. >> reporter: at the university of connecticut, jewish students tell us they have seen antisemitic flyers, which administrators took down. jewish student groups now training students for extra security. what do you think people should know about what it's like to be a jewish college student in america right now? >> it's scary. you know, it's very hard. >> reporter: jana tartikovski is a junior. >> i hide my star of david because i feel more secure that way. >> reporter: while members of pro-palestinian groups at uconn are also worried. lena marouf, a recent graduate, said she received this threatening voice mail. >> you're supporting baby killers, people who rape grandmas. i can't wait to see you dead. >> i wonder what else are they capable of doing if they're going out of their way to get your number. >> reporter: uconn administrators say the school unequivocally condemns anti-islamophobia as it does anti-semitism and is investigating. now they're offering experts to campuses to put stronger security plans in place. >> we have seen an uptick in requests for our support. >> do you have enough people to do this work? >> the demand is always going to outstrip the supply here. >> reporter: yeshiva university among those colleges reaching out. >> this is a scary time for jews, certainly on college campuses. >> reporter: tonight connecticut's governor is meeting with federal officials to beef up security on campus. lester? >> julia ainsley, thank you. tonight join jacob soboroff as he hosts a special report, "epidemic of hate: anti-semitism on the rise" tonight at 10:30 eastern, streaming on nbc news now. and up next, china's growing economic influence not far from our shores. but his vision dimmed with age. he had amd. i didn't know it then, but it can progress to ga, an advanced form of the disease. his struggle with vision loss from amd made me want to help you see warning signs of ga. like straight lines that seem wavy, blurry, or missing visual spots that make it hard to see faces like this one, or trouble with low light that makes driving at night a real challenge. if you've been diagnosed with amd and notice vision changes, don't wait. ga is irreversible. it's important to catch it early. talk to your eye doctor about ga and learn more at gawontwait.com ♪everything i do that's for my health is an accomplishment.♪ ♪concerns of getting screened faded away♪ ♪to my astonishment.♪ ♪my doc gave me a script i got it done without a delay.♪ ♪i screened with cologuard and did it my way.♪ cologuard is a one-of-a-kind way to screen for colon cancer that's effective and non-invasive. it's for people 45 plus at average risk, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider for cologuard. ♪i did it my way!♪ (♪♪) some people just know that the best rate for you is a rate based on you, with allstate. because you know that just because it fits in the cupholder doesn't make it 'to-go'. and you know how to brake, without breaking everything. and you're definitely not doing -okay, i don't even know what this is, but you're definitely not doing that. with allstate you're connected to a rate based on you. (♪♪) i've struggled with generalized myasthenia gravis. but the picture started changing when i started on vyvgart. vyvgart is for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis who are anti-achr antibody positive. in a clinical trial, vyvgart significantly improved most participants' ability to do daily activities when added to their current gmg treatment. most participants taking vyvgart also had less muscle weakness. and your vyvgart treatment schedule is designed just for you. in a clinical study, the most common side effects included urinary and respiratory tract infections, and headache. vyvgart may increase the risk of infection. tell your doctor if you have a history of infections or symptoms of an infection. vyvgart can cause allergic reactions. available as vyvgart for iv infusion and now as vyvgart hytrulo for subcutaneous injection. additional side effects for vyvgart hytrulo may include injection site reactions. talk to your neurologist about vyvgart. in the wake of this week's high stakes summit, we're taking a closer look at china's growing economic influence around the world. our keir simmons now with rare access inside a multibillion project giving china a foothold in america's backyard. >> reporter: tonight, thousands of miles from its own borders, china's growing presence in america's hemisphere is visible from this massive construction site. a $3.6 billion deep water mega port that china's president xi hopes to open in peru next year, built by china's cosco shipping, it's an economic beachhead for beijing in america's backyard. >> we need this investment. >> reporter: whether it comes from china or wherever? >> where it comes according to the interests of peru and the people of peru. >> reporter: we were given extensive access, designs in spanish and mandarin. cosco shipping, a company owned by china's government owns 60% of this huge project in a small town. called chancay. these docks will handle the world's biggest cargo ships, a million containers a year, they say, growing to 5 million in time. and a new route across the ocean, connecting south america and asia. from chancay to shanghai. do you think america failed to see the opportunities here? >> i think there are many opportunities now. >> reporter: and chinese companies may soon own lima's entire electricity grid, as well as at least five mines. not every peruvian is benefitting. last may, a street partially collapsed while digging a tunnel to access the chinese port. and explosions from the construction have caused many houses to crack. >> near my house. >> reporter: community leader miriam's artist studio is on the front line. dust blankets every surface. it's hard to have a conversation because it's so noisy. >> yeah, yeah. >> reporter: and some in the u.s. worry what may come next. could we one day see a ship from the people's liberation navy dock in this port? >> well, this port is oriented to commercial activities. >> reporter: not all here are so confident. "we're squeezed between america and china," miriam says. >> we are in the middle. >> reporter: a small south american fishing community soon to be caught up in the competition between two super powers. keir simmons, nbc knew, chancay, peru. next, rory mcilroy has just one hole in one in his pro golf career. but what happened today was a one in a million shot. for moderate to severe crohn's disease skyrizi is the first il-23 inhibitor that can deliver remission and visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. liver problems may occur in crohn's disease. control of crohn's means everything to me. ask your gastroenterologist about skyrizi. ♪ control is everything to me ♪ learn how abbvie could help you save. [holiday music] ♪ for people who love their vehicles, there is only one name on their holiday list... weathertech... laser measured floorliners that fit perfectly in the front and rear... seat protector to guard against spills and messes... cargoliner, bumpstep, and no drill mudflaps to protect the exterior... and cupfone keeps phones secure and handy... [honk honk] surprise!! shop for everyone on your list with american made products at weathertech.com... salonpas, makers of powerful pain relief patches for 89 years... believes in continuous improvement... like rounded corners that resist peeling, with an array of active ingredients... and sizes to relieve your pain. salonpas. it's good medicine. [sneeze] dude you coming? ♪ alka-seltzer plus powermax gels cold & flu relief with more concentrated power because the only thing dripping should be your style. plop plop fizz fizz winter warriors with alka-seltzer plus. (owner) purina one... we switched and wow! from day 1, its proven natural nutrition plop plop fizz fizz winter warriors supports charlie's strong immune system... and ginger's healthy heart. (vo) healthy differences today and for a lifetime. purina one. a difference from day one. around here, we like to keep things simple and honest. sure do. that's why at progressive, we show you rates from other companies, even if they're lower than ours, so you can choose what's best for your family. comparing rates used to be a hard day's work, but not with autoquote explorer. -need me to help again? -no. so join us and taste why progressive is the name people trust. sorry, are we talking about apples now or insurance? [ laughter ] why is that funny? when my doctor gave me breztri for my copd things changed for me. breztri gave me better breathing, symptom improvement, and reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. ask your doctor about breztri. finally, it wasn't the best shot of the day for golfer rory mcilroy, but it was the most memorable, and no one could have guessed where it landed. here is jesse kirsch. >> reporter: as he teed off on the 13th hole today, golf star rory mcilroy knew he missed the mark. >> ooh, that will be a tricky up and down. >> reporter: but it took time for mcilroy to realize he was that far off. at round 1 of the dp world championship in dubai, mcilroy's ball landed in a spectator's lap, and turns out she is a really good sport. mcilroy calls for an official. the crowd is laughing, and through it all, this smiling woman does not move, and neither does the ball. in golf, whether you love your shot or hate it, the saying goes, play it as it lies. thankfully this time mcilroy got a pass. and we all got a memory. >> you can move. [ laughter ] >> that's anything but par for the course. jesse kirsch, nbc news. >> awkward. that's "nightly news" for this thursday. thank you for watching, everyone. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night. protesters shut down the bay bridge for more than four hours. the reason it took the chp so long to clear the lanes. >> good afternoon. welcome to nbc bay area news at 4:30. we'll get the latest out there