Thousands of Palestinians performed Dawn Prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil City for the third Friday in a row in protest at Israeli assaults and restrictions.

Palestinian activists have launched a campaign encouraging Palestinian citizens to attend Friday’s Dawn Prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque and intensify their presence at the site.

The campaign came in response to stepped up Israeli attacks and Judaization plans targeting the Ibrahimi Mosque.

The Israeli occupation has recently adopted several plans aimed at expanding the settlement construction in the heart of al-Khalil and around the Ibrahimi Mosque.

Thousands of Palestinian citizens performed the Dawn Prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil on Friday in protest at Israeli restrictions and repeated closure of the site.

A large campaign has been launched in al-Khalil to encourage Palestinian residents to attend the Dawn and Friday prayers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in defiance of the Israeli occupation authorities who repeatedly prevent the Palestinians from praying at the mosque.

Last Saturday the Israeli occupation authorities banned Adhan (call for prayer) and Muslim prayers at the Ibrahimi Mosque and allowed thousands of Israeli settlers to desecrate the site to mark Jewish holidays.

The settlers escorted by armed soldiers attacked the Palestinian homes neighboring the mosque assaulted their residents and forced shop owners to close their stores during the break-in.