intercepted three missiles fired by iran-backed rebels in yemen. were they headed for israel? in gaza, the growing humanitarian crisis after the deal brokered by president biden. how soon will aid be allowed in? also, the state department issuing a worldwide travel alert. what it's urging americans to do as violent protests spread across the middle east. and president biden set to address the nation tonight. what he will tell the american people about israel and ukraine, and you will see it live on nbc. also tonight, the surprise in the georgia election case against donald trump. one of his co-defendants, his former attorney sidney powell changing her plea to guilty. her sentence and the letter she must write to the citizens of georgia, and will she testify against the former president? and chaos in the house after loosing twice. jim jordan's effort to suspend his speaker bid collapsing. will he call for a third vote? our special coverage begins right now. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt, reporting tonight live from israel. >> good evening and welcome from tel aviv. two worlds of misery tonight just miles apart. in israel, restlessness as the country is still counting its losses and anticipates its offensive against hamas, while in gaza, the humanitarian crisis grows. a territory under siege, squeezed off from the basics, from running water to food. the weight of diplomacy, including president biden's brief visit to israel yesterday, focusing on opening a lifeline to gaza, but still not running tonight. unspoken is what's next. when will israel unleash the might of its military to wrestle gaza away from hamas' grip? tonight as israel continues to bomb gaza, hamas rockets continue to arc into israel, including one that sent our team into shelter shortly before we came on the air tonight. no word whether anything was struck, and we're all fine. we start tonight with chief foreign correspondent richard engel. >> reporter: there are new signs israel's long anticipated ground operation into gaza could be coming. israel's defense minister telling troops they would soon see gaza from the inside, and the united states is making sure israel is ready for it, sending a new shipment of armored vehicles. for now, israel is only attacking gaza from afar. retaliation against hamas for its massive terror attack that killed 1400 israelis. >> this is not merely our battle, it's the battle of the entire civilized world. >> reporter: a ground invasion could spark a wider war across the middle east and draw in the united states. it's already happening, with hezbollah intensifying attacks on israeli forces from lebanon, syrian militias yesterday targeting american troops in iran and syria, and late today, the pentagon saying the uss kearney shot down three cruise missiles and drones launched by houthi rebels in yemen, eventually headed to israel. all have one thing in common, they're backed by iran. in gaza, the humanitarian crisis for the 2.3 million people is growing. israeli air strikes have flattened entire neighborhoods. with so many injured, gaza's hospitals are inundated and running out of fuel and bandages, facing power outages, some operations are done using the light of cell phones. in southern gaza, multiple witnesses and survivors tell us an israeli strike in han yunis hit a three-story home where dozens of palestinians were taking shelter. the wounded, more than 50, were taken to a nearby hospital, including many children. a girl is carried in motionless, but she is alive and given air. a boy screams for his daddy. a girl cries for her mom. these pictures were taken by our crew in gaza today. they're not propaganda from hamas or anyone else. this man told us the strike killed his wife, children, sister-in-law, and her children. they said the south was safe, he says. anger in the muslim world is building against israel and the united states. the u.s. state department issuing a worldwide travel alert to americans, advising u.s. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution. >> and richard, there are fears of more escalations tomorrow? >> tomorrow, of course, is friday, the muslim holy day, and there are demonstrations planned across the region. lester, we reached out to the israeli military about the strike on the home we showed you, and we're told they're checking. lester? >> richard engel, thank you. tonight president biden will address the american people to make the case for increasing support to israel and ukraine. peter alexander is at the white house. and peter, you're getting some new details on the president's remarks? >> lester, this is just the second office address for president biden. and tonight he is going to make the case that at this perilous moment, supporting both ukraine and israel is in the u.s.'s national security interests, warning that inaction would make america less safe. he is also going to emphasize to make sure that humanitarian aid get to the palestinians in gaza. the speech comes ahead of the president's plan tomorrow to send congress a request for roughly $100 billion in military and humanitarian support, largely for israel and ukraine. but with house republicans yet to settle on a speaker, it's not clear how soon lawmakers could even move on that. still, for the president, this moment is not without risk. you're talking about two separate war zones where in both cases, lester, the u.s. does not control the outcome. and looking toward the election, how will americans view these crises? do they see the president as too consumed with wars overseas and not on issues here at home? lester? >> peter alexander, thank you. these are agonizing days for americans on both sides of the israel-gaza border. today i spoke with two families about the emotional toll all of this is taking. american emilee rauschenberger grew up in the u.s. tonight she and her husband, who is palestinian and their children are inside gaza. they were visiting family when the israeli retaliation strikes began against hamas. >> during the days that we have no drinkable tap water. we have to go find it outside and other sources. bread is very hard to get. whenever it gets dark, you stay inside completely, and you hear bombings near and far. so it's been kind of a fight to survive, really. >> has the level of bombing decreased at all? >> no. the night before there was -- we saw five apartments targeted and bombed again, in the neighborhood we live in. and we don't know -- we don't know who might be next, really. >> do you want to get out of gaza? >> yes, i do. i would like very much with my kids to go. >> her message for israel tonight -- >> there needs to be a ceasefire. this is a humanitarian disaster. >> at the same time, what would your message be to hamas? what could hamas do to ease tensions and make this safer? >> i don't have good answer to that question. i haven't been able to follow any news, much at all since we don't have regular internet, you know, for both sides, there has to be a ceasefire and aid and help to the people who are suffering most under this bombardment. >> but suffering doesn't recognize borders, misery, or death of loss. from inside israel, what ebbie owen also wants is accountability. >> from my priority, the first thing that has to happen before any aid goes in is that the hostages are released and come home to their families. >> today the israeli military upped the number of those believed held hostage by hamas in gaza to 203. that number does not include owen's aunt carmela and granddaughter, who kidnapped by hamas terrorists have now been confirmed dead, their bodies found inside gaza. three other family members are still missing, including 12-year-old erez, captured on video being led away during the attacks. >> we don't want any other family to have their hearts shattered the way that ours are. we don't want any more suffering. we know right now that hamas is worse than isis. >> reporter: carmela was 80. noya was 12. ♪♪ that's noya's mom singing to her, posted just last month. tell me about noya. >> she had autism. she was sensitive to light and sound and noise, and she loved harry potter. she dressed up like harry potter. she and her grandmother were deeply connected, and i think if there is any solace right now it's to know that they are together. >> do you wish for the government to punish hamas further? i think there is a lot of talk about a proportionate response, a proportional response, and no israeli believes that exists. not one of us wants to go kill babies or rape women or murder people or take people from their families, but we want to live without the fear of terrorists crossing our border and creating what we're experiencing in the last two weeks. >> two views in this troubled land. also tonight, sidney powell, once a lawyer for former president trump, pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from mr. trump's effort to overturn his election defeat in georgia. our laura jarrett has more on the stunning turn in the case. >> reporter: tonight, once an attorney, then a co-defendant, now a cooperator. >> how do you plead to the six counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties? >> guilty. >> reporter: sidney powell one of 19 charged alongside the former president in a sprawling conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in georgia, pleading guilty to six reduced charges in court today, just as jury selection for her trial was set to begin tomorrow. >> do you agree there is a sufficient factual basis, that there are enough facts to support this plea of guilty? >> i do. >> reporter: a remarkable about-face for one of mr. trump's fiercest defenders. >> i'm going to release the kraken. >> reporter: often pushing baseless conspiracy theories the last election was stolen. >> president trump won by a landslide. we are going to prove it. >> reporter: instead, she has now admitted to helping organize the breach of sensitive voting equipment in a rural elections office, agreeing as part of the new plea deal with prosecutors to write an apology letter to the people of georgia, hand over documents to investigators, and come clean about all that she knows about her former client, as mr. trump continues to fight the charges against him. >> here to testify truthfully against any and all co-defendants in this matter at any upcoming proceedings. >> reporter: powell's testimony likely an asset for the fulton county d.a., who has now managed to secure two guilty pleas so far. and mr. trump's criminal attorney tonight dismisses the idea that this plea is a blow to him, saying it's favorable to his defense strategy. it's unclear how. meantime jury selection for ken chesebro, one of the other co-defendants in this case is still set to begin tomorrow with a trial set for monday. lester? >> laura jarrett, thank you. there is even more chaos in congress over the effort to elect a new house speaker. ryan nobles has been watching it play out by the hour. ryan, what happened today? >> lester, the current gop nominee jim jordan floated the idea of giving patrick mchenry, the current speaker pro tem temporary powers that would allow legislation to move to the floor. but the conservatives in his conference soundly rejected that idea. and as a result, jordan said that he was still in the race for speaker and that there would be votes in the near future. but late tonight, jordan emerged with a group of holdouts, and those holdouts said they are unmoved by jordan's pitch to try to win over their votes. in fact, many said they will never support him for speaker. jordan has yet to say when the next vote will take place. as a result tonight, the congress remains paralyzed. lester? >> ryan nobles, thank you. and in russia, there are new questions about the fate of another american journalist who was just detained. keir simmons is following this. keir, what more do we know? >> lester, alsu kurmasheva worked for radio free europe. she is also a mother of two. she is accused of failing to register as a foreign agent which carries a five-year jail sentence. one journalism group tonight is furious. she is the second u.s. journalist after "wall street journal's" evan goergesvich to be arrested. he was arrested in march. meanwhile, paul whelan and at least two other americans are in russian prison. this is the week president putin met with president xi in china and again denounced president biden on the world stage. a reminder if we needed it, russia remains one of biden's now many foreign policy challenges. lester? >> keir simmons, thank you. in 60 seconds, why cvs is pulling certain over-the-counter cold medicines from shelves. plus, free speech in time of war causing tensions on college campuses. 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(♪♪) my mom's alzheimer's never changed how much we love her. but it did change her. she developed agitation that may happen with dementia due to alzheimer's disease. she started yelling. pacing around. kept repeating the same questions. she got agitated often. so we asked her doctor for help. rexulti is the only fda-approved medication proven to reduce agitation symptoms that may happen with dementia due to alzheimer's disease. rexulti can cause serious side effects. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. report fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, which can be life-threatening, or uncontrolled muscle movements, which may be permanent. high blood sugar which can lead to coma or death; weight gain; increased cholesterol; low white blood cells; unusual urges; dizziness on standing; falls; seizures; trouble swallowing, or sleepiness may occur. take action for your loved one. ask their doctor about rexulti. dude? dog food in the fridge? it's not dog food. it's freshpet. real meat. real veggies. real weird. he was bad luck anyway. we're back with the mystery in paradise. a teacher from indiana disappearing while on vacation in puerto rico. maggie vespa now on the grim discovery authorities have made on the island. >> reporter: tonight, a caribbean vacation turned devastating mystery. >> it was pretty earth-shattering. >> reporter: authorities in puerto rico are working to confirm whether a body search crews found face-down in the river in this rocky wooded area saturday is that of missing indiana teacher amanda webster. forensic officials denied telling nbc news a family member flew to puerto rico to give dna. they've also pulled dental records and fingerprints. puerto rican police say the body is that of a white woman, but officials say it's so badly decomposed, they wouldn't let webster's family members see it. they're working to determine how the woman died. meanwhile, webster's loved ones tell our indianapolis affiliate wthr the 44-year-old art teacher was vacationing alone, sending videos like this one. she was reported missing wednesday of last week after police say she failed to check out of her airbnb on time, leaving her bags and rental car. for days, friends clung to hope. >> she had told them she was going hiking there, and she never came back. >> i'm definitely upset, shaken. >> reporter: nbc news reached out to webster's family. a man who answered the phone declined to comment. >> a lot of people are going to be feeling this loss. >> reporter: a community back home desperate for answers, embracing for the worst. maggie vespa, nbc news. sad news from the about a beloved actor from the "rocky" series. burt young nominated for his role as rocky's best friend, appearing in six films has died. young, who was a marine and a boxer himself also starred in other acclaimed move and tv shows like chinatown and the "the sopranos." he was 83. and a history-making win last night in the wnba as the las vegas aces became the first team in the league to win back-to-back championships. the aces squeezing by the new york liberty 70-69 to take the series 3-1. up next, here in israel, how a college facing great loss is taking on a greater purpose for the community. ha-ha! it was me the whole time. -whoo-hoo! -well done, ma'am. with snapshot from progressive, you get a personalized discount for being a safe driver. say "snapshot savings!" [ camera shutter clicks ] ultomiris is for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis who are anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody positive. it is lasting control over your gmg symptoms. and, ultomiris is the only long-acting gmg treatment with 8 weeks of freedom between infusions. ultomiris can lower your immune system's ability to fight infections, increasing your chance of serious, life-threatening meningococcal and other types of infections. if not vaccinated, you must receive meningococcal vaccines at least 2 weeks before starting ultomiris and if ultomiris is urgent, you should also receive 2 weeks of antibiotics with your vaccines. before starting ultomiris, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions and medications. ultomiris can cause reactions such as back pain, tiredness, dizziness, limb discomfort, or bad taste. ultomiris is here. ask your doctor about managing your generalized myasthenia gravis with ultomiris. if you've had sensitivity, those zingers can really cause some of that jolting pain. there is one great solution out there with sensodyne. it creates a protective barrier, and now they get to feel like, 'oh, this is a product that actually works. ♪ have heart failure with unresolved symptoms? 'oh, this is a product that actually works. it may be time to see the bigger picture. heart failure and seemingly unrelated symptoms like carpal tunnel syndrome, shortness of breath, and irregular heartbeat could be something more serious called attr-cm, a rare, under-diagnosed disease that worsens over time. sound like you? call your cardiologist, and ask about attr-cm. finally tonight, from here in is finally tonight, from here in israel, a university transformed by terrorism and war. kelly cobiella on its pain and its new mission. >> reporter: tonight, ben gurion university in the south of israel is a ghost town. in the student union, a shrine to some of the more than 60 students, staff, and faculty murdered, kidnapped or missing. every day university president professor daniel shamavitz tries to comfort another grieving family. >> you just hug them. there are no words. >> reporter: the horror of october 7th unfolded just 20 miles from here. year six medical student a.l. pastrnak heard sirens and ran to the hospital. >> and i saw hell on earth, the screams, the smells. it's really horrible. >> reporter: the injured kept coming. and he found himself saving lives. >> one soldier had been shot in the armpit. his main artery has been hit and gushed blood on the table. >> reporter: ayal stopped the bleeding with his hands. that day changed you? >> that day changed me, yes. >> reporter: he now wants to be a trauma surgeon. across the university, lives changed overnight. the campus parking lot a donation depot. the study room a command center, fielding calls for help. more than a thousand students have had to trade books for the battlefield. all classes here now on hold. >> there is no way i'm starting the academic year when thousands of our students are called up to reserve duty. you know, we're all one group here. so we'll wait until they can join us. >> reporter: tonight ayal learned he has been drafted and will head off to serve in days. a generation heading to war. kelly cobiella, nbc knew, beer shieff sheva, israel. that's "nightly news." tune in tonight at 8:00 for president biden's address on the israel-hamas war. thank you for watching, everyone. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night. right now, the white house in the spotlight. president biden is set to address the nation from the oval office in 30 minutes. good afternoon. welcome to nbc bay area news at 4:30. we'll tell you what president