Israel took control of the Rafah border crossing. The impact could be devastating

The Biden administration has suspended an arms shipment to Israel. A senior administration official speaking on condition of anonymity told NPR that this was due to concerns that the bombs could be used in Rafah.

Rafah is the site of Israel’s latest campaign in its war against Hamas. It is also home to some 1.3 million Palestinians. More than half of these people have fled fighting in other areas of Gaza.

On Monday evening, Israeli tanks entered Rafah, taking control of the Palestinian side of the border crossing with Egypt.

The seizure of the border post cuts a vital supply line for humanitarian aid.

Israel says its Rafah incursion is a “precise counterterrorism operation.” But possible additional military actions as well as the closure of the border post could worsen a humanitarian catastrophe.

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