Israel has begun limited military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, to which more than 1 million Palestinians have fled during the war, prompting the Biden administration to halt a military aid delivery of bombs to the Jewish state.

The Israel Defense Forces had held off on ground military operations in Rafah for several weeks at the request of the United States, but they issued evacuation orders for people in eastern parts of Rafah following a deadly Hamas attack last weekend near the border crossing that serves as the primary entry point for humanitarian aid.