Israel harshly criticized the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization this week for plans to designate the ancient city of Jericho as a Palestinian World Heritage site.

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Ancient Jericho is one of 53 natural and cultural sites the World Heritage Committee will be voting to include on its list when it convenes in Saudi Arabia in two weeks.

Video: Israeli forces operating in Jericho / Credit: Israel Police

MK Dan Illouz (Likud) blasted the decision, saying "Jericho is first and foremost a city of biblical significance."

According to Jewish tradition, Jericho was the crossing point of the Israelites into the Land of Israel after wandering in the desert for forty years following the Exodus from Egypt.

Illouz called on President of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay to deny the Palestinian Authority's request for the recognition that is "archaeological false."

"This is not only an insult to Jews, but also an insult to Christians around the world who admire the site for its biblical history," Illouz wrote in a letter to Azoulay.

"The Palestinian Authority is systematically working to erase all ties of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel. This is evident on the Temple Mount, where valuable archaeological findings were destroyed, as well as throughout Judea and Samaria, where acts of vandalism and deliberate destruction of biblical evidence frequently occur. It is our duty to stop this and insist on our right to our country against enemies at home and abroad," the letter said.

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Israeli forces came under fire while conducting a counterterrorism operation at the Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho.

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The troops were shot at after surrounding the house in which the two suspects hid. They were arrested, along with three other gunmen. No Israeli injuries were reported.

In a separate raid overnight Thursday, the IDF arrested a Palestinian terrorist who perpetrated a shooting attack on a bus of soldiers in the Jordan Valley in September 2022. Maher Turkman opened fire at the vehicle along with his son and nephew.

They also attempted to set the bus on fire, but instead, their own car went up in flames. The son and the nephew were arrested on the scene. The former died of his wounds shortly after.

One soldier and a civilian driver were seriously injured in the attack.

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

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Tourists are being offered a new glimpse at one of the largest ancient mosaics in the Middle East after renovations undertaken by the Palestinian Authority were unveiled this week.

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The 930-square-meter (10,000-square foot) stone mosaic, with intricate geometric patterns, is part of what is known as Hisham's Palace. It was built during the reign of the Umayyads, the first hereditary Muslim dynasty, which ruled from Damascus. The palace was the winter resort of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, who ruled from A.D. 724 to 743.

It is situated near the desert oasis city of Jericho – one of the world's oldest – in what is now the West Bank. The Palestinians hope the new project will attract both local and foreign travelers.

The $18 million project, which included the construction of a large dome to protect the mosaic from the elements, was partly funded by the Japanese government. Tourists can now view the mosaic from a new walkway suspended above it.

The project was originally supposed to be completed in 2018 but was delayed, in part because of the challenge of anchoring the dome without disturbing the archaeological remains.

Abdel Raheem Zahran, a local tourist who came with his children on Thursday, said he had been to the site seven years earlier, but it was "not as developed."

"The dome that they made is great, you don't have the sun beating down on you," he said.

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