The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said that 20 people had been killed in its Khan Yunis aid distribution site on Wednesday, 19 of whom were trampled to death and another fatality who was stabbed.

The US-backed organization said the incident occurred “amid a chaotic and dangerous surge, driven by agitators in the crowd. We have credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd – armed and affiliated with Hamas – deliberately fomented the unrest.”

This was the first time aid workers saw a number of firearms in the crowd, seizing one of the guns. One employee was threatened with a gun from someone in the crowd.

“This horrific event follows a deeply troubling pattern in recent days. False messages about aid site openings, including at SDS4 (Wadi Gaza) and the long-closed SDS1 (Tal Sultan), have circulated widely on Telegram and other platforms, fueling confusion, driving crowds to closed sites, and inciting disorder,” the statement said.

This comes after numerous reports of high numbers of casualties around the aid sites, although Israel and the GHF have disputed many of the reports. In addition, Israel has pointed the finger at Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza, saying that the groups are threatened by the aid not being distributed by international aid organizations that they have infiltrated, with much of the aid being stolen by armed terrorists.

“We mourn the lives lost today, and we remain committed to providing humanitarian aid as safely and responsibly as possible,” the statement concluded. “GHF exists to serve the people of Gaza with compassion and integrity, and our mission has never been more urgent or more challenged.”