Antonio Guterres will make his first visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories as U.N. secretary-general later this month for a firsthand look at a conflict that has been on the front burner of the United Nations for 70 years.

Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour says the trip “comes at a critical time in which there are attacks against the two-state solution” — the goal of an independent Palestinian state existing side-by-side with Israel in peace.

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said Tuesday that the trip will give Guterres the chance “to see firsthand both the challenges and the opportunities that we face in our region.”

Guterres’ Aug. 28-30 trip will include visits to Israel, the West Bank city of Ramallah and Gaza.

(AP)