The Oct. 7 incursion was led by Hamas militants in Gaza, who killed at least 1,300 Israelis and other nationals and abducted dozens more. Israel has already fired its own barrage of retaliatory missiles, killing more than 2,000 Palestinians.

The Israeli government has begun a siege of Gaza, restricting access to food and electricity for the more than 2 million residents of the region that’s long been blockaded on all sides by Israel and Egypt.

Satterfield previously served as the assistant secretary for the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, as U.S. deputy chief of mission in Iraq and as U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.

“Ambassador Satterfield’s diplomatic experience and decades of work navigating the some of the world’s most challenging conflicts will be instrumental in our continued effort to address humanitarian issues in the region — a top priority for President Biden — including our efforts to bring urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, in coordination with the U.N., Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and other regional stakeholders,” Sullivan said in the statement.