JERUSALEM -- At least 55 Palestinian protesters have been killed on the Gaza border alone on Monday, as a brand new U.S. Embassy opens in Jerusalem.

  • Deadly protests break out over US Embassy move
  • US Embassy moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
  • Florida Gov. Rick Scott was there for embassy opening

The protest in Gaza was to be the biggest yet in a weeks-long campaign against a decade-old blockade of the territory. The march was also directed at the inauguration of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem Monday.

The relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv, a key campaign promise of President Donald Trump, has infuriated the Palestinians, who seek east Jerusalem as a future capital.

Trump tweeted Monday morning that it is "A great day for Israel!"

The president was not there for the opening, but he spoke during the ceremony via video.

“Our greatest hope is for peace," the president said. The United States remains fully committed to facilitating a lasting peace agreement.”

He did not mention what was happening on the Gaza Strip not far from the opening of the new U.S. Embassy. 

Dozens were killed in those protests Monday, in the deadliest day of clashes between Palestinians and Israelis since 2014.

The White House said responsibility for those deaths "rests squarely with Hamas," said spokesman Raj Shah. 

The move is somewhat symbolic, because most of the embassy staff will stay in Tel Aviv and the ambassador will continue to commute between the two cities.

The president's daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner were there for the opening, where American and Israeli flags are flying side by side throughout the city.

“We stand with our friends and our allies, and above all else we have shown that the United States of America will do what’s right and so we have,” said Kushner during the ceremony.

Jerusalem is home to holy sites in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions.

However, last year, the Trump administration recognized it as the capital of Israel, not Palestine.

Since then, Paraguay and Guatemala announced they would move their embassies to Jerusalem. However, other countries will continue to keep their embassies in Tel Aviv until Israelis and Palestinians reach a peace agreement.

Turkey, meanwhile is recalling its ambassadors to the United States and Israel for consultations, and condemned the decision.

The opening took place on the 70th anniversary of American recognition of the State of Israel. It is known to Jewish people as Israel Day, but Palestinians refer to it as "the Catastrophe," as hundreds of thousands of them fled their homes.​

Many of them now live in the Gaza Strip, an area almost completely locked by Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. It also borders Egypt.

“This is the life of Palestinian people and those who think that opening the embassy opened doors to peace, let them look at what is really happening in the Gaza Strip,” said Riyad Mansour, a representative from the Permanent Observer Mission.

The Israel Defense Forces say they warned Gaza residents against protesting with leaflets, yet they continue.​

Israeli forces are shooting and firing missiles at the protesters. 

The Red Cross is set up on the border to tend to any medical needs.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott was there for the big opening. He supported the decision to move the embassy and has made two official visits to Israel.

Monday marked the biggest showdown in recent weeks between Israel's military and Gaza's Hamas rulers along the volatile border.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.