also tonight, the dangerous escalation. the pentagon saying a u.s. warplane killed several iran-backed militia members after american forces were attacked by a ballistic missile in iraq. what we're learning. the massive storm moving east, disrupting thanksgiving travel. thousands of flights canceled or delayed. al roker is tracking it. north korea claiming it has successfully launched its first spy satellite. how the u.s. is reacting to that news. the dramatic body cam. an officer entering an ohio walmart after a gunman opens fire. four people injured. what police are saying. the mystery illness spreading to dogs across the country. and the big sister and the little sister, and the audition that landed them in this year's macy's thanksgiving day parade. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening. as we come on the air, a tentative deal is on the table outlining terms of freedom for some of the israeli hostages kidnapped by hamas. that's according to a senior u.s. official and a source familiar with the negotiations. tonight, prime minister benjamin netanyahu meeting with his cabinet in a late-night session to consider the potential agreement that sources tell us includes the release of 50 women and children israeli hostages held by hamas in exchange for the release of 150 palestinian prisoners held by israel. the proposed agreement also calls for a temporary pause in fighting between the sides and a curtailment of israeli drone overflights. the most anticipated details, however, the potential timing of any hostage release, and who will be among them are unknown. president biden earlier today repeated his belief a hostage agreement was close. several israeli-americans are counted among hostages taken by hamas during the group's october 7th terror attack on israel. most notably, a 3-year-old girl. keir simmons is in israel with what we know at this moment. >> reporter: tonight, after 45 days held by hamas, some hostages inside gaza could be closer to coming home. a tense israeli cabinet meeting still considering the framework of a deal, which multiple sources, including a senior u.s. official tell nbc news would first see hamas release 50 of the estimated more than 230 hostages held captive in gaza. the released hostages would be women and children only and freed during a four-day pause, they say. in return, israel would release 150 palestinian women and children prisoners convicted an israeli official says as accomplices in terror offenses. the developments come as president biden early today expressed optimism about a deal which was negotiated in qatar. >> we've been working on this intensively for weeks. >> reporter: the hostages were taken on october 7 after hamas terrorists murdered over 1,200 israelis, including entire families. 3-year-old american abigail adan witnessed both of her parents executed before she was kidnapped. >> i have the number 45, and it's 45 days that we have not known. >> reporter: tonight we spoke to her great aunt. the family still desperately waiting for any kind of news. >> her birthday is on friday. she's turning 4. and to just imagine that she comes home and is with her family is -- is -- is our light right now. in such a very dark and terribly, terribly horrific period. >> hopefully she is free to turn 4 like any other kid. >> exactly. any child that is turning 4 should turn 4 with their family. they should not be a hostage in gaza. they should not have been abducted. they should not have seen their parents be murdered. >> reporter: but the agreement would mean the majority of hostages inside gaza, including men, will not come home in the first wave of releases. devastating news for the family of 22-year-old omer, who says he is in need of medication. >> it's really hard for us. but we're waiting for all of them to come back. >> and keir, where do things stand right now as israel considers this potential deal? >> well, lester, the israeli government has been meeting for hours now. some members of the cabinet saying they want all the hostages released and that a pause would allow hamas to regroup. prime minister netanyahu insisting even if there is a pause, the war won't end. lester? >> keir simmons, thank you. and this potential agreement comes after weeks of intensive talks involving the u.s. and several middle east countries. gabe gutierrez is at the white house tonight. gabe, what more do we know? >> lester, prime minister netanyahu said late today that president biden's involvement improved the tentative deal, which now includes the potential release of more hostages. the president has had his fingers crossed literally after weeks of grueling around-the-clock negotiations. the u.s. has been coordinating not just with israel, but qatar and egypt, and it's expected some israeli-american citizens could be among that first wave of hostages that would include women and children, though u.s. officials stress nothing is finalized until the deal is officially announced. also a priority for the administration, making sure more aid gets into gaza. 20,000 gallons of fuel went in within the past 24 hours, but humanitarian organizations say much more is needed. when asked today whether the white house believed hamas, which the u.s. classifies as a terrorist organization, was serious during these negotiations, a spokesman said we know who we're dealing with here, which is why we're being very, very careful. lester? >> gabe gutierrez at the white house, thank you. and while there are fears for the fate of the hostages, another life-and-death struggle is playing out, this one involving premature babies caught in gaza. inside hospitals allegedly used by hamas. erin mclaughlin with a story of heartbreak and hope. >> reporter: they call him mejul, arabic for unknown, discovered following an air strike in gaza city. the doctors here fear his family is dead. "no one has come forward to claim him," he says. more than a week ago, the world first met mejul at the besieged al-shifa hospital, along with more than 30 other premature babies. >> rpgs, ak-47s. >> reporter: israel, the u.s. and the european union have condemned hamas as using hospitals for bases for military operations, and for using palestinian citizens as human shields, which hamas denies. eventually, help arrived. 31 babies evacuated. hypothermic, dehydrated and starving, yet alive. although two didn't survive the trip to egypt. mejul stayed in gaza as they searched for his family, along with two others, including little anas. "if we die, we all die together" his father says. the stata family knows what it moons to be torn apart. the violence forced his family south, leaving anis alone in al-shifa. for more than 40 agonizing days, they waited. "we lost hope," his dad says. "we thought that's it, we're not going to see our son." but today ana stata is going home. "we found him," his grandma says. "i can't describe this happiness." tonight, at least for this family, there is tears of joy and smiles in gaza. as for mejul, if no one claims him, doctors say, he'll be sent to an orphanage, like so many other babies in gaza. lester? >> all right, thank you. and also tonight, another attack by militants on u.s. forces in the region. this time in iraq, prompting a strong response. courtney kube is at the pentagon. what are you finding out about this, courtney? >> reporter: that's right, lester. overnight the u.s. military firing back again after another attack on a base resulted in injured americans and damage to a building. the pentagon says yesterday an iranian-backed militia group fired a missile in iraq. the missile hit an empty building, but several u.s. service members reported minor injuries. the ballistic missile is an escalation from the other 66 recent attacks in iraq and syria using drones and rockets. a u.s. military ac-130 gunship like this one spotted the launch and struck the militants' vehicle, killing several fighters. tonight officials tell nbc news they will continue to respond if the militia groups keep attacking u.s. bases. lester? >> courtney kube at the pentagon, thanks. north korea has apparently launched its first military spy satellite after twice failing to do earlier in year. i was launched using a ballistic missile that fell into the sea. experts say russia may have helped north korea obtain the military spy technology. the white house condemned the launch. here at home, police in ohio releasing dramatic body cam from a shooting inside a walmart. the officer seen entering with his gun, searching the store, and finding the 20-year-old gunman dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. authorities say four others were injured. three are now in stable condition. the fourth is in critical but stable condition. the motive is under investigation. we're keeping a close eye on the weather tonight, and holiday travel as the storm pushes east from the midwest, with rain and some snow in the mix. al roker is tracking it. al, what are you seeing? >> lester, this is a real mess. it stretches from panama city all the way up into new england. as we get to the north, a mix of rain and snow, a treacherous mess. and the rain will get out of here by tomorrow afternoon and evening, but behind it gusty winds will continue through the night. because of that, strong delays in boston for tomorrow. but new york all the way down to charlotte could be seeing some delays. i-90, i-95, i-80 and i-81 all dealing with wet weather. as we look into thanksgiving day, things calm down in the east. it will be chilly. plenty of sunshine along the east coast. heavy snow in the rockies and sunshine out west. happy thanksgiving, everybody. lester? >> and al, happy thanksgiving to you as well. thanks. the weather slowing down some of the country's busiest airports and highways. tom costello is following it all. tom, how it is looking? >> lester, this is the problem. we've got incredible traffic here because we've had incredible rain. all of this is bottlenecking into airports. so some of these folks stuck in traffic will not make their flights. but as it relates to flights, 3700 delays right now. we've only got a couple of dozen cancellations. make no mistake, though. this is an airline stress point. across the eastern u.s., that heavy rain is testing travelers' patience today on clogged highways as 49 million americans drive over the coming days. >> whatever happens, we're just going to roll with it. >> reporter: to long and winding airplane security lines. >> it's just a lot. a lot of people. a lot of just chaos. >> reporter: 5 million people flying through today and tomorrow. >> we kind of go into this knowing it's going to be a real busy travel time. >> group 2, please proceed. >> reporter: chicago o'hare, the nation's fourth busiest airport is united's mega hub with 850 inbound and you be flights each day. >> she came into fox 27. >> reporter: it's a 24/7 logistical juggle. >> 1879 park charlie 27. >> reporter: from medical and mechanical issues to weather, catering, fueling, crew schedules, flight delays, passenger and luggage reroutes. >> everyone in here is engaged and connected to make sure that we can keep the airline on schedule. >> reporter: high stress on the ground and high above. >> so this is an area most people don't get to see. it's the ramp tower for united here at o'hare. >> united 64, taxi bravo sierra. taxiway alpha. >> reporter: the controllers here act as traffic cops, directing hundreds of planes moving on united's ramp. all of the ground traffic in the alleys between the bravo and the charlie concourses. and then departing flights are turned over to air traffic control. >> 364 ramp north port bravo line to parking bravo 1. >> reporter: this feels like a pressure cooker job up here. >> it can be. but usually you're too busy to notice. >> reporter: dave heisinger is the ramp tower manager. >> anything from a blown tire to a broken airplane or somebody making a wrong turn can take the field from relatively quiet to chaos. >> reporter: the big test comes sunday. nearly three million flyers nationwide setting a new record. tom costello, nbc news, chicago. in 60 seconds, the next front in the battle over abortion rights in a state with one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. we're there right after this. honey, i think i heard something. ok. ♪ from christmas tree mats... to floorliners... cargo liners.... no drill mud flaps... seat protectors... and more... weathertech has the perfect holiday gift. honey, is everything ok? oh yeah. order at weathertech.com and don't forget weathertech gift cards. as the 2024 campaign heats up, abortion rights are expected to play a major role in next year's races. and now groups in more states are looking to put the issue on the ballot. dasha burns takes us to missouri. >> reporter: weeks after ohio voted in favor of abortion protections, activists are hoping to continue that momentum in a state with one ofxt the strictest bans in the country. >> looking at ohio and 18 counties that voted for trump voted to approve abortion rights. that's not a fluke. that's a pattern. >> reporter: two competing groups are looking to put abortion access on the ballot in missouri in 2024, one of them led by a republican. >> i'm from missouri. >> reporter: jamie corley is behind the proposal that would allow abortions up to 12 weeks and add exceptions for fatal fetal abnormalities, rape and incest if reported to a hotline. >> reporter: some people watching this might say what the heck's going on? >> right, right. i am a republican, and i am also pro-choice. i think we now know that there are many more like me than one would think. >> reporter: a more progressive group wants to allow abortions later in a pregnancy. why not try for something more expansive? >> it goes back to what is passable today. women are truly -- their lives are at risk when they're pregnant in missouri. we need something that can pass, and we believe that voters will support this. >> reporter: but she is facing opposition both from groups that want to keep the ban in place -- >> in missouri, we are a pro-life state, and we've been a pro-life state for 50 years. >> reporter: and groups that want more abortion protections like planned parenthood. >> the idea that we would limit access at an arbitrary gestational age really does say that we aren't paying attention to what's actually the lived reality and what's happening on the ground right now. >> reporter: isn't 12 weeks better than nothing? >> i'm just going to say no, it is not. >> reporter: views on abortion often defy party lines. so the question is what will voters support? allie rand is a conservative catholic mom of five. she said she never imagined she would support abortion rights until she experienced complications while pregnant with twins. >> it was terrifying. it felt very like i had no options here. if something were to go wrong, what was i going to do? >> reporter: what did that feel like, to know that in the state where you -- >> live. and i love living in missouri. >> reporter: that you had no choices? >> a really helpless feeling. it almost makes you feel like if you chose to leave the state, that you're a criminal. >> reporter: her twins were born healthy, but she says she now supports abortions up to 12 weeks. dasha burns, nbc news, st. louis, missouri. and next, why are dogs in at least a dozen states getting mysteriously ill? our reporting about what's behind it, next. with rinvoq, a once-daily pill. when i wanted to see results fast, rinvoq delivered rapid symptom relief and helped leave bathroom urgency behind. check. when uc tried to slow me down... i got lasting, steroid-free remission with rinvoq. check. and when uc caused damage rinvoq came through by visibly repairing my colon lining. check. rapid symptom relief... lasting steroid-free remission... ...and the chance to visibly repair the colon lining. check, check, and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older with at least 1 heart disease risk factor have higher risks. ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq and learn how abbvie can help you save. 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( ♪♪ ) growing up, hughes and cowboys were one and the same. my daddy's a cowboy. i'm a cowboy and i'm raising a cowgirl. and discovering that my family come from farmers, for generations. this life is in our blood. and we ain't stopping no time soon. give the gift of family heritage with ancestry. back with news of a mysterious dog illness that can be lethal and is being seen in a growing number of states. vets are struggling with how to treat it. we get more from miguel almaguer. >> reporter: the mysterious respiratory illness is infecting dogs at a worrisome rate as veterinarians now scramble to better understand the possible bacterium pathogen, and more owners believe their pets have been infected. >> it's been a brutal six weeks. everything you do for them, nothing really works. >> reporter: diane swanson says her golden retriever gus became severely ill last month. >> the night before last, i thought for sure that we were going to lose him. it was just one of those nights all night long that he could not catch his breath and would just wake up just gasping. >> reporter: with symptoms similar to kennel cough, vets say the suspected newly discovered bacterium can quickly progress to pneumonia and severe respiratory distress. >> there is a very small subset of the affected animals, at least based on reports here hearing from clinical veterinarians that will develop a secondary bacterial infection, and that can be severe. >> reporter: with the growing number of cases being reported across the country, it's feared the bacteria is spread where dogs congregate, like kennels, doggie day care facilities, or dog parks. >> it's like covid for dogs. >> reporter: symptoms include a cough, fever or intermittent loss of appetite. experts say the best way to protect your pup is to limit their exposure to other dogs for now, and to make sure they're up to date on their vaccines, especially for respiratory illnesses. lester? >> all right, miguel, thanks. the powerful bond that brings them all the way to the macy's thanksgiving day parade. that's next. 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 occu