PM criticises embassy move

WELLINGTON: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has criticised what she says is a ‘‘devastating, onesided loss of life’’ on the Gaza border and called the opening of a United States embassy in Jerusalem a step backwards for peace.

Israeli troops shot dead 60 Palestinian protesters and injured 2700 others on the Gaza border as the US opened its new embassy in the bloodiest day for Palestinians since the 2014 conflict.

Ardern said yesterday New Zealand officials had formally raised concerns with Israel’s ambassador.

‘‘It is the right of any nation to defend their border, but this is a devastating, onesided loss of life,’’ she told reporters.

‘‘We would condemn the violence that has occurred. I think it’s plain to see the effects of this decision and the ramifications are widereaching.’’

While stopping short of directly blaming the US and President Donald Trump for the tension — saying it was hard to judge how much protest had escalated from usual — Ardern reiterated New Zealand’s position that the US decision to recognise the holy city as Israel’s capital last year had made a twostate solution more difficult.

‘‘We said we thought this would lead to a backwards step in that progress towards peace and it has,’’ she said.

New Zealand was in December one of 128 nations to vote for a UN resolution criticising the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Israel’s embassy in New Zealand said there was ‘‘no valid connection between the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem and the weeksold Hamasorchestrated violent confrontation campaign’’.

‘‘Israel has the right and the duty to protect its sovereignty, its borders and its citizens,’’ she said. — AP