DAMASCUS, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Syria condemned on Tuesday Israel's excavations in east Jerusalem as a blatant violation of the international law and UN resolutions to change the city's nature and its demographic status.

    Such hostile measures "pose a threat against the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and the religious and cultural international value of the city," the official SANA news agency quoted a foreign ministry statement as saying.

    "Israel's continued destruction of the cultural and religious heritage of Jerusalem and the ongoing excavations under the Al-Aqsa Mosque and at al-Magharebah Gate clearly indicate Israel's continuing escalation of the situation in the region and defiance of the international community and legitimacy resolutions," said the statement.

    "Surrounding the city by fresh settlements and confiscating Palestinian homes and properties starkly reveals real Israeli intentions to annex Jerusalem and swallow up Palestinian lands again," it added, accusing Israel of having no serious intentions to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region.

    It demanded the international community to take practical measures to force the Israeli authorities stop such acts immediately.

    The Israeli government has tried to build a bridge and a walkway at al-Magharebah Gate near the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest Islamic site, a move seen by Muslims as an attempt to change the Arab and Islamic identity of the holy city.