US 'responsible' with Israel for Gaza massacre, says Turkey

The US shares blame for Israel's killing of at least 43 unarmed Palestinians along Gaza's border on Monday, Turkey's deputy prime minister said. 

"The US administration is as responsible as the Israeli government for this massacre," Bekir Bozdag wrote on Twitter, saying the violence was sparked by "unjust and unlawful decisions" in reference to Washington moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Palestinians staged mass protests along Gaza's border hours ahead of the US opening its new embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, which was attended by President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials have repeatedly condemned the US decision to move the embassy, warning it would spark unrest. 

"The US administration moving its embassy to Jerusalem destroyed the chances for peace and ignited a fire that will cause more human losses and injuries as well as destruction and catastrophe in the region," said Bozdag, who is also government spokesman.

"From now, nothing will be the same in the causes of Palestine and Jerusalem," he added.

Palestinian leaders have effectively boycotted Washington since Trump's Jerusalem announcement in December.

His decision, though celebrated by Israel's hard-right premier Binyamin Netanyahu, contravened decades of US policy that the status of Jerusalem be decided in future negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. 

At least eighty-five Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since protests and clashes began along the Gaza border on 30 March as part of the Great March of Return. Activists are calling for refugees who fled or were expelled during the 1948 war to be allowed to return. 

No Israelis have been wounded since 30 March and the military has faced criticism for its use of live rounds. 

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