Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington this week, under pressure to end the Gaza conflict both from Israelis who want hostages brought home and from a US administration focusing increasingly on the presidential election, Reuters reports.

The visit, Netanyahu’s first to his most important international ally since returning for a record sixth term as prime minister at the end of 2022, has been overshadowed by President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection.

A meeting with Biden is tentatively planned for Tuesday if the president has recovered from Covid-19, and Netanyahu is scheduled to address the US Congress on Wednesday.

His speech to Congress is expected to focus on coordinating the Israeli and US response to the volatile situation in the Middle East, where there is a growing danger of the Gaza conflict spilling over into a wider regional conflict.