Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday condemned the Israeli excavations against the Islamic holy shrines in Jerusalem, Jordan's news agency Petra reported.

"What Israel is doing in its practices and attacks against our sacred Muslim sites in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa is a blatant violation that is not acceptable under any pretext," Abdullah was quoted as saying.

"Such Israeli measures will create an atmosphere that will never contribute to the ongoing efforts aimed at putting the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians back on track," he added.

Abdullah said that Jordan, based on its keenness to save the Islamic holy places in Jerusalem and the signed peace treaty with Israel, will do its utmost with all Arab and International bodies to take the necessary steps to save the Islamic holy places in Jerusalem.

According to the 1994 peace pact between Jordan and Israel, Jordan has been recognized a "special" role in the custodianship of shrines in Jerusalem.

Israeli excavation work started Tuesday near an entrance to a compound in Jerusalem that houses the al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest shrine.

Source: Xinhua