After Israel launched its planned military offensive on the Gazan side of Rafah, the US has come out and said that it believes Israel taking control of the crossing is a "limited operation designed to cut off Hamas's ability to smuggle more weapons and funding into Gaza." The Rafah crossing, which Israel has taken control of, is crucial in allowing humanitarian aid to the 1.5 million displaced Palestinians who stay in Rafah after having fled other parts of Gaza.