At least 20 people were killed in a chaotic crush at an aid centre in southern Gaza on Wednesday, with the site's operator blaming "agitators" within the crowd and the territory's civil defence agency attributing the panic to Israeli gunfire.

It was the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's (GHF) first acknowledgement of deaths at one of its aid centres after weeks of chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Palestinians being killed nearby while waiting to collect rations.

The latest deaths came as Hamas accused Israel of wanting to retain long-term military control of Gaza -- a key sticking point in ongoing negotiations aiming to seal a deal for a 60-day ceasefire, the release of hostages and the unfettered flow of much-needed aid.

A Palestinian source close to the negotiations told AFP there had been "no progress so far" in the indirect talks, which are now in their second week in Doha.

In Gaza's main southern city of Khan Yunis, the GHF said it understood that 19 of those killed on Wednesday "were trampled and one was stabbed amid a chaotic and dangerous surge".

It said the crush was "driven by agitators", adding: "We........

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