seeing the clouds and a chance for a few sprinkles around the bay area. >> "nbc nightly news" is next. >> have a good night. on this sunday night, deadly day. the death toll from the israel defensive in gaza rises sharply on both sides amid intense new attacks. the crash site. what's happening to the remains of the malaysia airlines victims, and to their possessions. and what is the latest evidence showing about who shot down the plane. out of control. four wildfires merge into one massive inferno in washington state, destroying scores of homes. why is it taking so long to contain it. and man on the moon. reliving the historic moment 45 years ago tonight that a lot of america declared victory in the space race. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york,

this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. good evening. this has been the bloodiest day yet in the fighting in gaza between israel and hamas militants, claiming the lives of more than 70 palestinians, and 13 israeli soldiers. with hamas missiles still being fired into israel, prime minister benjamin netanyahu has vowed the ground offensive will continue as long as necessary. but today, with thousands of terrified palestinians fleeing their neighborhoods, and civilian casualties mounting, u.n. chief ban ki-moon labeled the israeli offensive atrocious. tonight we show you the views from both sides of the conflict. ayman spent part of the day in the midst of the chaos and suffering. ayman, good evening. >> good evening, lester. it was the single deadliest day since the conflict began, leaving scores of palestinians dead. we were at the hospital morgue as a stream of bodies came in throughout the day.

one after the other, the bodies came into the hospital, revealed the horrors. in one neighborhood in east gaza, more than 60 people killed today alone. on the drive in, our camera captured those trying to get out. fear etched on their faces, their belongings on their backs. they were the lucky ones who survived. these were the ones who did not. israel says it's using surgical strikes to target hamas fighters. it says tunnels and rockets are being destroyed. but here, so is everything else. paramedics arrive with two more bodies. that's a palestinian journalist with his bloody press vest. first responders carrying one of their own. a 33-year-old medic who was killed when his ambulance was bombed while responding to a call. here those used to seeing death, it was too much. at the hospital morgue, there is

no dignity for the dead. families stepping over bodies to identify relatives tucked in every corner of the room. today we met this 24-year-old man crying over his sister's body. dina was a 3rd grader on her summer break. she ran out to the store to buy a snack and never came back. they're literally telling the people they don't have any more space in the morgue. there are so many bodies being brought in, they're literally turning them back at the door. you can hear the sense of panic happening outside. inside, the doctors pray to make it stop. it doesn't. more bodies, more grief. 3-year-old haya, 11-year-old sem ia, two cousins and an uncle who had to identify them. how do you feel? >> very bad. the most bad moment of any life is this moment. >> reporter: this is no longer just a hospital. it's a shelter, families trying to escape the war come here.

it's now become home to the injured, the scared, and the dead. nbc news, gaza. >> this is kate snow in southern israel where again and again today, choppers landed to pick up the wounded, israeli soldiers being medevacked out. this doctor is overseeing the triage. >> head injuries, eye injuries, abdominal injuries. >> reporter: outside the e.r. we see a woman frantically searching for an injured soldier. >> i have to find my friend. >> reporter: we're inside when the sirens go off. rockets are inbound. this happens about ten times a day, we're told, with most intercepted by israeli defenses. a 20-year-old lieutenant who took shrapnel to his neck. his uncle said his injury only strengthens his resolve that

this is a battle against terror. >> it's very simple for us. no giving up. >> reporter: on the israeli side of the gaza border, we see military staging areas. we're a few miles from the gaza border on the israeli side, and you can hear the tanks shelling in the distance. you can see black smoke coming up in plumes out of gaza city, all evidence of an intensified ground operation. for the first time during this ground war, israeli troops are confronting hamas up close, destroying tunnels dug in the sand by militants trying to enter israel. it's rarely officials say they regret the loss of life in gaza today, but they say hamas is the one to blame. >> hamas is butchering its own people. what are they doing? they're placing missile launchers next to women and children and shooting into israel. >> reporter: today a funeral for one of the israeli soldiers killed on saturday. tomorrow will bring 13 more. president obama spoke once again

today with the israeli prime minister, and there was a noticeable shift in tone from the president as he raised serious concerns about the growing number of casualties here. meantime, secretary of state john kerry on his way now back to the region to try to broker some kind of cease-fire. lester? >> kate and ayman, thank you. now, to our other major story. pro-russian rebels in eastern ukraine have taken control of the remains of nearly 200 passengers recovered from downed malaysia airlines flight 17. meantime, u.s. and european officials are demanding that russian president vladimir putin make sure the rebels give international investigators full access to the crash site. kiera simmons is in donetsk for us. >> reporter: good evening, lester. we spent the day at the crash site with few restrictions on where we could go. still, there were no crash investigators here, and no news of when the dead will be returned to their families. there is little dignity for the

dead here. most of the victims have been removed. but their possessions are still not collected. we find a wallet, empty in the fields where the wreckage fell. the debris covers a huge area. parts of the plane are scattered over several miles. this was the cockpit. look at it. the front wheel embedded. and when we reached the heart of the crash scene, you can see why officials fear many passengers may never be found. around 100 are still missing. as for the others, officials here say today that 192 victims have been found, their bodies placed in refrigerated cars on this train. we questioned the driver. how long will the bodies be kept here for? i don't know, he says. the uncertainty, leading to more frustration today. we can't tolerate this, said malaysia's prime minister. but the gun-wielding prime minister of the breakaway region

told me he is trying to treat the victims humanely. and they will remain under the control of the pro-russian rebels until international investigators arrive in the coming days. alexander said his men removed the plane's black boxes on friday, and will hand them over as well. for now, a few european monitors are the only westerners here, closely guarded by the rebels. the very men accused of shooting down the plane. tonight if is reported a dutch team trying to identify the dead will get here tomorrow amid a growing international outcry over how the victims are being treated. lester? >> we turn to the question of who fired the missile that shot down the plane. the u.s. embassy in kiev said today the intelligence community has confirmed the authenticity of intercepted communications allegedly between pro-russian separatists who claim responsibility. more now from nbc's tom costello.

>> reporter: around the world this sunday, growing anger at russian-backed separatists accused of shooting down malaysia flight 17. today secretary of state kerry said u.s. satellites pin pointed the launch from rebel territory. >> we picked up the imagery of this launch. we know the trajectory. we know where it came from. >> reporter: secretary kerry said video and photographs released by the ukrainian government but not verified by nbc news show three mobile buk missiles headed for russia after the shootdown. at least one missile is missing. >> we are not sure that the team was russian. there were russian citizens operating. >> reporter: on the website, the u.s. embassy in kiev said last weekend russia sent a convoy of military equipment with up to 350 vehicles, artillery and multiple rocket launchers to the separatists. among the dead, 28 australians.

today the australian prime minister directed the blame at moscow. >> russian-controlled territory, russian-backed rebels, quite likely a russian supplied weapon. russia can't wash its hands of this. >> reporter: while separatists claim they lofrd the black boxes, they may be of little help in determining who's responsible. outside investigators, including a small u.s. team, have not been allowed in. veteran crash experts say the scene appears compromised. >> it's obvious that people have walked through that wreckage. they've pilfered the wreckage. now the question is, how much of the evidence that this crime team would be looking for still exists. >> reporter: the head of emirates air, one of the world's largest airlines, calls the shooting down of flight 17 an outrage. they're asking for airlines to take a direct role when it's too unsafe to fly over a war zone. with russia accused of being

complicit in the downing of the jet, what's the response from moscow? jim asaida is there. >> reporter: vladimir putin facing the biggest crisis of his presidency. and it seems a global indictment. headlines about putin's victims shot out of the sky by putin's missile fired by putin's rebels. putin's other formidable weapons, state-run tv propaganda has gone into overdrive, picking apart the direct russian connection. like this missile launcher allegedly used to bring down the plane. one russian expert said he traced the number, 312, to these missile launchers, all ukrainian. one tweeted, the white house has found guilty for any investigation. just like saddam hussein and his weapons of mass destruction. too much putin hunting, some here are saying. >> the facts will prove there was a mistake of the russian government, and there was a mistake of the vladimir putin as

well. they shouldn't blame only themselves. >> reporter: what's gotten little play is this. russia playing respect at the dutch embassy, leaving stinging messages. not all russians are murderers and terrorists. until the facts of the crash investigation are out, putin himself has decided to go silent while the u.s. continues to make its case. >> but it could backfire if it is not possible to pin this on one group of people, or with any certainty. >> reporter: the u.s. and the west say they have the proof, but will putin concede, or ignore it. jim accedea, nbc news, moscow. back in this country, a break for firefighters battling a massive wildfire in washington state. cooler, damper weather has moved in and winds are calming down. however, officials say some 150 homes have already been destroyed. >> reporter: on the front lines of the carlton complex fire in

northern washington state, hot shot crews scramble to protect what they can. >> some things we can't stop. it's very hard to defeat. >> reporter: from the air, the scope of the damage is sobering. neighborhood after neighborhood along the cascade mountains reduced to ash and rubble. for those who have lost their homes, like the harrisons, finding anything intact can feel like a victory. >> there's a quarter right there. >> awesome. >> reporter: days after a series of lightning strikes sparked four separate wildfires, they have now merged into one monster inferno. 467 square miles affected by far the largest wildfire the state has ever seen. in the community of alto lake -- >> this was the basement. >> reporter: roland and barb smith lived here for 20 years. >> we never believed it was going to jump the river and come over here and do this.

we had no idea. >> reporter: when you came back? >> this is what we saw. >> reporter: back on the mountain, fire crews struggle to hold the line, to contain the blaze that hit so far proven relentless. in the community of alto lake, we learned 52 of the 150 homes burned right here in what used to be this picturesque community. as firefighters are optimistic that cooler temperatures and calmer winds mean they may finally get some containment around this fire. lester? >> jacob, thanks. the trial set to begin tomorrow in a killing that's drawn comparison to the trayvon martin shooting. later, we'll look back at the night exactly 45 years ago when neil armstrong uttered his historic words.

there's growing outrage over a confrontation with police that was caught on cell phone video. one of the officers appears to have applied a choke hold to 43-year-old eric garner. garner suspected of illegally selling cigarettes, wrestled to the ground, still being held in a choke hold. he complains repeatedly, he can't breathe. he later died. a thorough investigation has been ordered. a trial is said to begin tomorrow in the racially charged killing of a 19-year-old woman in a detroit suburb. like the killing of florida teenager trayvon martin, this case is raising questions about guns, about self-defense, and whether racial profiling played a role. our report from nbc's ron allen. >> it's a murder. and it's a horrible murder. >> reporter: marta mcbride has

no doubt her daughter was an innocent victim of a brutal crime. the 19-year-old was killed last november by a shotgun blast to her face. theodore charged with murdering mcbride admits firing the gun and even called 911 afterwards. >> i just shot somebody on my front porch with a shotgun, banging on my door. >> reporter: the case has been compared to trayvon martin by george zimmerman who was found not guilty. waver has claimed he felt threatened, defended himself and did not intend to kill mcbride. >> my client had a strong defense. >> reporter: it all began just after midnight on a saturday. police say mcbride crashed her vehicle into a parked car. intoxicated and injured, she walked away. then nearly four hours later, mcbride wound up six blocks away at waver's house. prosecutors say he picked up a

shotgun, opened the front door and shot mcbride a couple of feet away through a locked screen door. analysts say the defense will likely blame mcbride. >> try to establish she wasn't peaceful, that she was aggressive, that she was angry. but he's got a problem. there's no indication mcbride was trying to break in. >> reporter: mcbride's mother believes her daughter was disoriented and looking for help. >> i can't imagine in my wildest dreams of what that man feared from her. to shoot her in her face. >> reporter: if convicted, wafer could face life in prison. mcbride's family faces life with her now gone. ron allen, nbc news, new york. coming up next, remembering film and tv legend james garner.

tributes are pouring in from fellow actors following the death of james garner at the age of 86. authorities say he died of natural causes at his home in los angeles after a career that spanned more than 50 years. he had the hollywood leading man look, a film career that spanned decades. it was television that made james garner a household name. the show that launched him into fame "maverick" in 1957. he played brett maverick, more likely to talk his way out of a tight spot than pull out his gun. >> it won't bring you happiness. >> reporter: he had his share of big screen roles, acting opposite marlon brando, doris day and steve mcqueen. and opposite julie andrews in the americanization of emily. >> i really liked that film. it was the first film that i

felt like i could really get my teeth in a little bit. >> reporter: nearly 20 years after his first television hit, garner found fame again in the "rockford files." the role of smooth-talking private eye jim rockford earned him an emmy. garner was also a celebrity pitchman. >> you made it to the top. >> the camera did. i just went along for the ride. >> reporter: in 1985, garner was nominated for an oscar, playing a widowed pharmacist in "murphy's romance." the korean war veteran and purple heart recipient found a new audience in 2004's "the notebook." >> i've never seen anything so beautiful. >> neither have i. >> reporter: the oklahoma-born actor was never looking to be a superstar. >> if you're up at the pinnacle, you have no place to go but down. i'd rather be just, you know, in there, and my goal has been

longevity, not height. >> another passing to report tonight, famed jazzed trum putter who died on friday one day after his 103rd birthday. he was believed to be the oldest working jazz musician. in fact, he played at every new orleans jazz festival until this past year. he started at the age of 15 and just last year took to the stage on his 102nd birthday, when he told our kevin tibbles that his love of the trumpet helped him live so long. still ahead here tonight, when you were probably watching if you were alive 45 years ago tonight.

finally tonight, amid all the tragic news, we remember one of history's most triumphant moments. it was 45 years ago tonight that apollo 11 commander neil armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon, to be followed about 20 minutes later by lunar module pilot buzz aldrin. all as 600 million people worldwide watched those grainy live pictures. nbc's ron motte helps us relive the excitement. >> that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. >> reporter: when first neil armstrong, then buzz aldrin stepped out for a sunday stroll on july 20th, 1969. >> -- beautiful, beautiful. >> reporter: -- the world watched their every move, hung

on every word with wonderment. >> the scene that i immediately saw was the brightness of the gray dust with the shadows. because the sun was at a low angle behind us. and the horizon was so clear. visibility was perfect. because there's no air up there. >> reporter: up there, on the moon, 238,000 miles from more familiar terrain. the apollo 11 mission was groundbreaking on so many fronts. >> it was arguably the most technological event in the 20th century. >> reporter: jay covered space for nbc news for more than a half century. >> they accomplished the walk on the moon, they jumped 50 years ahead in technology. you wouldn't have the cell phones and all that you hold in your hands today had they not gone to the moon. >> reporter: nasa marked the anniversary this weekend in new york. >> you've been on the moon. >> yes, sir. >> what's the next big frontier? >> mars. >> reporter: with sights fixed

on making another giant leap. >> going to mars, searching for life in the universe, has really enabled us to blend creativity and innovation koert that combination fueled dreamer like evan, awe-struck by apollo's moon landing. >> it's very cool. they know what it was like up there. they got to be the first to see it. >> reporter: a first with everlasting impact, planting seeds of discovery still growing. nbc news, new york. that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. from all of us here at nbc news, new york. from all of us here at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

. nbc bay area news starts now. >> good evening, everyone. i'm terry mcsweeney. >> i'm peggy bunker. crews are reportedly collecting evidence and bodies from the sprawling crash site of malaysia airlines flight mh-17. the pro russian separatists suspected of shooting down the airliner have allowed international investigators only brief visits into that area. today secretary of state john kerry is now calling on the russian government to follow through on its promises to ensure a fair investigation. brian mooar has the story now from washington. >> reporter: secretary of state john kerry laid out a case suggesting pro-russian rebels shot down a malaysian passenger jet overai