CAIRO—United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has landed in El-Arich, Egypt, with the intent to proceed to the Rafah crossing point at the Gaza Strip border, reported Al-Qahira al-Ihbariya TV.

According to News Releases by Burkina Information News Agency, Guterres aims to supervise the passage of the first trucks delivering humanitarian aid to the residents of the Palestinian enclave. The visit follows an attack on Al-Ahli Hospital in the Gaza Strip on October 17, which resulted in 471 deaths and 342 injuries. Palestine blamed Israel for the attack, while Israel attributed the explosion to a flawed missile strike by the Islamic Jihad group.

The Middle East has seen a sudden escalation of tensions since October 7, following an attack launched by Hamas against Israeli territories. Israel responded with a full siege on the Gaza Strip and strikes on Lebanon and Syria, while clashes erupted in the West Bank.