At least 20 people have died during a stampede at an aid distribution site in Gaza.

The US and Israeli backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) says 19 people were trampled and one person was stabbed during what it described as a “chaotic and dangerous surge, driven by agitators in the crowd”.

Palestinian health officials told Reuters at least 20 people had died of suffocation at the site in Khan Younis. One medic said lots of people had been crammed into a small space and had been crushed.

The controversial GHF, whose aid distribution points have witnessed hundreds of deaths, said it had reason to believe that unrest was “deliberately fomented” from within the crowd by Hamas militants, but did not provide evidence to support its claim.

“For the first time since operations began, GHF personnel identified multiple firearms in the crowd,” it claimed.