Palestinian residents of the village of Yasoof in northern West Bank rebuilt and renovated the only mosque in the village which was attacked and burned by Jewish settlers last week.

The residents said that official and popular figures and notables coming from allover the West Bank held the weekly Friday prayers at the mosque in the village to express sympathy and solidarity with the residents of the village.

The Palestinian minister of religious affairs Mahmoud al-Habashled the Friday prayers service, where he called for unity among the Palestinians to face what he termed as "the dangers of settlers against our holy sites."

"The attack on Yasoof mosque is part of the series of crimes that the settlers and their supporters in the right-wing," said al-Habash, adding "let's consider the attack on the mosque as a symbol for unity."

Members from Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) central council and the revolutionary council of Fatah movement joined Friday prayers together with the village's residents at the mosque.

Azzam el-Ahmad, member of Fatah party's central committee told reporters that the Palestinian leadership "would continue its efforts to sue the criminals who attack our mosques and holy sites."

"We will also confront the settlers with all means in our hands. We came here to tell the residents of Yasoof that they are not alone and we are with them to confront the settlers," said el-Ahmad.

Last Friday, a group of settlers attacked the mosque early in the morning, and burned the houses and copies of the Moslems' holybook of al-Quraan. The attack was widely condemned by the Israeli government and the Jewish rabbis.

(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2009)