Does Q 5:6 Mean Touching Women or Sex?

Q 5:6 contains the phrase “aw lāmastum al-nisāʾ,” which is interpreted differently by the Shafi and Hanafi schools. Shafi scholars understand it as ordinary physical touching, while Hanafi scholars understand it as sexual intercourse.

There are also reports of different interpretations among the Companions. From a historical-critical reading of the Quran, its language and its historical context, which interpretation makes more sense: ordinary touching or sexual contact?