A large plume of smoke was seen rising into the sky over the Gaza Strip on Monday as the war in the enclave rages on.

Meanwhile, days after his defiant speech at the United Nations rejecting demands to end the war in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to confer with his most important supporter.

But Monday’s meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington comes at a tenuous moment.

Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies.

At home, Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.

The question now is whether Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Netanyahu throughout the war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to finally wind down the conflict.

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel in the 2023 attack, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 others.

Hamas is believed to be holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed by Israel to still be alive.

Israel’s sweeping offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run administration.

Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the U.N. and many independent experts. The fighting has displaced 90% of the Gaza population, with an increasing number now starving.