have they zeroed in on a suspect? after failing twice to elect a speaker the house gop meeting behind closed doors tonight. the nine new candidates battling it out. the massive pileup in louisiana about 100 vehicles involved was it caused by so-called superfog and the children of war the boy marking his ninth birthday as a hostage. his family's message to the world >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt good evening there are breaking developments tonight on the hostage front two elderly israeli women, the latest hamas captives to be freed. the group says nurit cooper and yocheved lifshitz were let go for compelling humanitarian reasons the two women seen tonight in this egyptian tv video clip as they were handed over to israeli officials. their release and that of two americans on friday raising hopes for the families of the other nearly 200 including as many as 20 americans that may be held hostage. against that backdrop israel today stepping up its bombing campaign against targets in hamas-occupied gaza. israel's defense minister saying, "it may take a month, two or three, but at the end there will be no more hamas." well, according to four u.s. officials, the biden administration is urging israel to hold off its expected ground invasion in gaza to allow more humanitarian aid into the territory and more time for hostage negotiations our chief foreign correspondent richard engel leads off our coverage tonight >> reporter: first it was two americans. now two israeli hostages are free. taken out of gaza and loaded into ambulances tonight on the egyptian side of the border hamas freed nurit cooper and yocheved lifshitz their release, like with the american mother and daughter last friday, was facilitated by the red cross. before hamas began to release hostages we spoke to a senior hamas official who said the group was willing to free civilians. >> well, if you stop the aggression, it can be implemented in the next hour. >> reporter: tonight we interviewed him again. he told us hamas wants to talk and is open to negotiations >> so where do we go now? >> stop the aggression, open the borders. we are ready to release all. we don't need to have anyone in our houses i'm talking about stopping the aggression, opening the borders, discussing our rights to get rid of this siege and occupation, and everything is on the table to be discussed. >> reporter: at the white house president biden was asked about a potential ceasefire and said hamas has it backwards. hostages out first >> we should have those hostages released and then we can talk >> reporter: today israel raised its estimate, saying there are 222 hostages in gaza u.s. officials say 10 americans are still unaccounted for. israel has thousands of troops positioned all around gaza, ready for an invasion that could come at any time but now multiple u.s. officials say the biden administration is encouraging israel to delay it, to allow more time for hostage negotiations and to get in humanitarian aid. >> it's our view that the israeli defense forces, steve, need to decide for themselves how they're going to conduct operations we're not in the business of dictating terms to them. >> reporter: as hamas continues to launch rockets toward israel. the israeli military says it attacked militants from hezbollah as they tried to fire an anti-tank missile into israel from lebanon. and israel is not stopping its air campaign into gaza, striking 320 targets in the last 24 hours in retaliation for hamas's terror attack that killed 1,400 israelis including hundreds of civilians. this newly released video from the october 7th attack shows the group killing two israelis as they drove along the highway. inside gaza, medical officials say more than 5,000 palestinians have now been killed. with people digging through the rubble to try to pull out survivors after airstrikes >> and richard, there's news on the humanitarian crisis in gaza i understand a third truck convoy getting through. >> reporter: yes about 50 trucks so far have made it from egypt into gaza. but they didn't take in any fuel. they're not being allowed to take in fuel and the fuel is badly needed to keep the generators running at the hospitals. and tonight one hospital in gaza city has gone dark. the power run out. lester >> richard engel tonight. thank you. among the hostages believed to be held by hamas is hersh goldberg-polin, a 23-year-old with dual israeli-american citizenship who was at that music festival when the terrorists attacked his parents flew to new york today to press the united nations for help getting the hostages released i spoke with them a short time ago >> let me first if i can get your reaction to there have been another two hostages released of course the americans on friday. does that raise your level of hope? >> i would say on the one hand we look for hope wherever we can grasp at it. so in some ways a little bit bottom line is when all 200-plus are released, in our case obviously we're most concerned about our own son, who's wounded, that's what we're hoping's going to happen. >> reporter: it's now been 17 days since jonathan polin and rachel goldberg have heard from their son, hersh. the 23-year-old was last seen in this photo on the left, hiding from hamas in a bomb shelter near the music festival witnesses say hersh's arm was blown off in an explosion he then applied his own tourniquet before being driven off in a hamas truck. >> he needs a certain kind of surgery, and he needs heavy doses of antibiotics i don't know that he's getting either one of those two things >> reporter: hersh is a dual u.s.-israeli citizen. i first met his parents in jerusalem, where they now live. they came to new york to plead for the united nations' help in freeing the hostages >> there are hostages from somewhere between 30 and 40 countries. there are elderly. there are babies there are critically wounded. this is a global humanitarian issue that we want to raise at the united nations and have leaders of the world join together and scream to solve this humanitarian crisis. >> i saw almost the control room you've established in your living room there. have you heard any more information that specifically gives you a timeline of where he might be or what the circumstances might be at this point? >> we really haven't we really haven't. and remember, lester, we don't know that he didn't die on that truck 17 days ago when he was abducted because there's been no proof of life for any of the hostages who are being held so none of us know >> so your most important role right now is to keep his name out there and keep this story out there. >> we have one mission. bring him home and get him the treatment that he needs >> immediately like time is running out. and every single person should know that >> we just keep hoping that somewhere somehow hersh knows that not only are his parents and his siblings fighting for him but that there is a world of people out there who are pulling for him and pulling for all the hostages and i hope that they sense that sense of good in the world. >> their strength and focus is inspiring there have been an increasing number of attacks on u.s. forces in the mideast involving iran and tonight the pentagon is moving more resources to the region courtney kube reports with late details. >> reporter: tonight, with growing threats to the u.s. military in the middle east, the pentagon making significant moves, including reinforcing their air defenses, rerouting the "uss eisenhower" carrier strike group to the waters off iran, and telling more u.s. troops to be ready to deploy after at least six attacks threatening u.s. troops in as many days in iraq, syria, and the red sea. the u.s. blaming iran and their proxy groups >> we know that iran is closely monitoring these events and in some cases actively facilitating these attacks. >> reporter: u.s. officials say troops would not go to war in gaza and the goal is to deter a larger regional conflict. nbc news recently had an exclusive look at that deterrence. this is the "hms prince of wales. it's england's newest and biggest warship. right now we're out here to see how the british navy and the u.s. navy and u.s. marine corps are all working together that includes u.s. marine corps ospreys and f-35s that are practicing landing on the deck of this british carrier. >> u.s. sailors, u.s. marines, royal navy sailors, royal marines have operated alongside each other for years. >> but right now we're really focused on deterring any actor, whether it's iran, whether it's one of the non-state actors >> reporter: and just today the u.s. took down two drones targeting american troops at al-tanf in southern syria there were no casualties lester >> courtney, thank you. tonight an alaska airlines pilot is under arrest, charged with trying to bring down a commercial airliner on which he was a passenger. let's get more now from tom costello. >> reporter: held tonight in an oregon jail, 44-year-old alaska airlines pilot joseph emerson, booked on 167 charges including 83 potential counts of attempted murder the fbi and local police allege emerson was off duty, riding in the cockpit jump seat, flying on horizon air from everett, washington to san francisco sunday night when he suddenly tried to pull the engine fire suppression controls to shut down the engines at cruising altitude the pilot and co-pilot stopped and subdued emerson, removed him from the cockpit, then diverted the plane to portland >> we've got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit. we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked >> with 83 people on board it's definitely frightening that someone is struggling like that up in the cockpit. >> reporter: law enforcement sources do not believe there is any connection to terrorism or the events in the middle east but today the faa issued an alert to all airlines for crews to "maintain vigilance and situational awareness. other recent cases of pilots attempting or succeeding in crashing planes include china eastern last year, german wings, egypt air, and possibly malaysia airlines 370, still missing. in 2018 a maintenance worker took an empty horizon air jet on a joyride before crashing and killing himself. now investigators must determine the motivation behind emerson's alleged actions. >> this is not the actions of a rational human, much less a highly trained pilot >> reporter: pilots over 40 must undergo physical exams every six months and disclose mental health issues and medications. full mental health evaluations are not part of that emerson's last physical was last month. lester >> okay, tom costello, thanks we're learning much more tonight about the killing of a detroit synagogue leader who was found stabbed to death outside her home on saturday jesse kirsch has late details. >> reporter: after well-known detroit jewish leader samantha woll was stabbed to death, tonight police still have not announced any arrests. for now investigators considering multiple persons of interest. >> we are just short of calling one of the people a suspect >> reporter: the 40-year-old's sudden death sparked fears of a potential hate crime. but police do not believe anti-semitism was the motive >> we're not ruling out anything we're going to go where the information and the evidence takes us and right now the evidence does not take us there >> reporter: investigators say early saturday woll was found dead near her home, stabbed multiple times just hours after she left a wedding around 12:30 a.m. >> we've heard from sources that she did not have any defensive wounds did she leave this wedding alone? >> yeah, i can't get into that. and your sources, you know, i'm not going to confirm or deny that at this time >> reporter: at the crime scene authorities say they found a trail of blood leading to woll's home, where they believe she was attacked investigators adding there were no signs of forced entry ♪ woll's alleged murder leaving friends and family grief-stricken. mourning the synagogue president who wanted to bring people together in divisive times. >> it seems like we need her now more than we ever did. >> yeah. >> how do you make sense of that? >> i don't there's nothing about this loss that makes sense. >> jesse joining us now. did authorities give any indication about a motive >> reporter: investigators have not publicly shared any motive so far. but police stress they do not believe that anyone else is at risk lester >> jesse kirsch, thank you. now to the crisis at the capitol, where nine congressmen who want to be house speaker are taking part in a candidate forum tonight. then tomorrow republicans will select their next nominee after the two previous candidates, jim jordan and steve scalise, were rejected this stalemate has been going on for almost three weeks now. in 60 seconds the horrific scene on a highway. dense fog and smoke causing a massive pileup in louisiana. more than a dozen injured. we'll have more right after this more than a dozen people were taken to the hospital today after a pileup in louisiana involving about 100 cars and officials say so-called superfog conditions likely played a role. priscilla thompson explains >> reporter: a massive pileup shutting down this interstate near new orleans in both directions for hours pickup trucks stacked on top of each other at least two 18-wheelers erupting in flames. >> for miles look at it it's crazy >> reporter: this was the scene on interstate 55. seven people died and more than 25 were taken to hospitals, including three in critical condition, officials say. >> this is a very demanding scene. this is a taxing scene for our first responders >> reporter: the more than 150-car wreck likely a combination of dense fog and smoke from at least three wildfires burning in louisiana that reduced visibility in the area to near zero it's known as a superfog >> superfog is when you have foggy conditions near a fire we get the water droplets on all the debris that's in the air from the fire, and that makes the smoke even more dense and the fog so thick it's horrendous for travel. sometimes down to zero visibility >> reporter: that fog has now lifted but tonight many are still recovering from a crash unlike anything they'd seen before >> look at this. >> reporter: priscilla thompson, nbc news and up next, the discovery police made as they searched for the suspected killer of a judge in maryland we're back now with a manhunt in the fatal shooting of a maryland judge at his home last week authorities over the weekend finding a major clue in the investigation. but as stephanie gosk reports, the suspect is still on the loose. >> reporter: police found pedro argote's 2009 mercedes, but they didn't find him the 49-year-old suspected of shooting and killing maryland circuit judge andrew wilkinson in his own driveway thursday. his wife and son at home now the u.s. marshals service is offering a $10,000 reward for any information leading to argote's arrest. >> are you concerned he's dangerous >> obviously, he's committed a heinous act. we want individuals to report if they see him. but we do advise that they don't approach him. >> reporter: according to officials, the suspected killer has ties to multiple states including florida and new york >> we're going to catch this guy it's just a matter of time >> reporter: in divorce proceedings last thursday judge wilkinson ruled that argote's ex-wife would get sole custody of the couple's four children with no visitation rights. argote has no criminal record, but police say they were called to his house twice for alleged domestic violence no charges were filed. and last year his ex-wife requested a protective order but it was dismissed after two weeks. now a manhunt is on. while wilkinson's colleagues mourn a judge dedicated to the public good. >> he treated everyone with respect in the courtroom. he acted with dignity at all times and he always made decisions based on intellect and honesty. and it is an example that we all need to follow >> reporter: to honor that commitment in washington county this week court is still in session. stephanie gosk, nbc news there's good news to tell you about. olympic legend mary lou retton, the family of the gold medal-winning gymnast who spent weeks in the icu with pneumonia says she is now out of the hospital and recovering at home retton's daughters raised more than $450,000 through crowdfunding to pay for her care and up next the outpouring in israel for a boy held hostage on his birthday. finally, an emotional day in israel and beyond for a boy who turned 9 years old while held hostage in gaza. raf sanchez with his story tonight. >> reporter: it looks at first like any child's birthday excited faces and more balloons than you can count. but the birthday boy himself is missing >> he celebrates 9 today. and we do that for him because he in gaza now. the terrorists took him to gaza. >> reporter: ohad munder-zichri is spending his ninth birthday as a hostage, one of more than 20 children being held in gaza according to israel also hostages, his grandparents, avraham and ruthi, and his mother keren >> she wanted to have a child for many years. and he brought lots of happiness and light to the family >> reporter: they were snatched from kibbutz nir oz on october 7th and haven't been seen or heard from since. what has this been like for your family >> a horror movie or something. >> reporter: this is what ohad's birthday should look like instead, his family gathering to plead for the safe return of a boy they say is smart, kind, and like his uncle roi a fan of english soccer team liverpool. roi was killed in the attack, buried this week with the jersey of the team he adored. >> we loved him. we still love him. >> reporter: ohad's birthday marked with balloons across israel and at events around the world like this in london ♪ happy birthday dear ohad ♪ family and friends sending balloons skywards, hoping that just maybe a little boy in gaza might see them and know that he is loved raf sanchez, nbc news, metzer, israel >> and that's "nightly news" for this monday. thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night [deep exhale] [deep exhale] [trumpet music plays] 579 breaths to show 'em your stuff. every breath matters. don't like rsv take your breath away. protect yourself from rsv... ...with abrysvo, pfizer's rsv vaccine. abrysvo is a vaccine for the prevention of lower respiratory disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. rsv can be serious if you are 60 or older. having asthma, copd, diabetes, or heart disease puts you at even higher risk. abrysvo is not for everyone and may not protect all who receive the vaccine. don't get abrysvo if you've had a severe allergic reaction to its ingredients. people with a weakened immune system 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[deep breath] right now on "nbc bay area news tonight," a mid flight emergency. the off-duty pilot accused of attempted murder while on board a san francisco-bound flight. >> we've got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit. >> so what happened here, and how rare is this incident? one of our aviation experts is with us this evening. also, we investigate the explicit instagram posts made by a mountain view cop. that officer was suspended, though. why some believe his

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