ADDIS ABABA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamt said Tuesday the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem can only further heighten tensions in the region.

It also complicates the search for a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said the chairperson in a statement.

Earlier on Monday in a highly controversial move, the United States opened an embassy in Jerusalem, an ancient city holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians.

In the statement, the chairperson expressed deep concern about the prevailing situation in the Palestinian territories, following the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

He strongly condemned the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli army, which resulted in the killing of more than 50 Palestinian demonstrators, while many more were wounded.

The chairperson reiterated the solidarity of the African Union with the Palestinian people in their legitimate quest for an independent and sovereign State with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He called for renewed and genuine international efforts to find a just and lasting solution to the conflict, based on the existence of two states, Israel and Palestine, within the framework of the relevant United Nations pronouncements.