The African Union (AU) strongly condemned Monday’s killing of 60 unarmed Palestinian protesters in the besieged Gaza Strip by Israeli armed forces.

In a statement, African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat slammed the “disproportionate use of force by the Israeli army.”

“The relocation of the United States Embassy to Jerusalem can only further heighten tensions in the region and complicate the search for a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Mahamat added.

The pan-African body reiterated its solidarity with the Palestinian people in “their legitimate quest for an independent and sovereign state with East Jerusalem as its capital”.

Thousands of Palestinians had gathered on the Gaza Strip’s eastern border since Monday morning to take part in protests aimed at commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Nakba (catastrophe) and to protest the relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Since protests began on March 30, more than 90 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed by Israeli live ammunition, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Monday’s massacre was the bloodiest day in the Gaza Strip since 2014 when Israel attacked the blockaded coastal enclave in a military operation code-named Operation Protective Edge.