Israel hit with two earthquakes in five hours, felt in Lebanon and Syria

The earthquake's hypocenter was located some 20 km. southeast of the West Bank city of Ariel, in the Jordan Valley.

Vehicles drive along a road in the Jordan Valley  (photo credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)
Vehicles drive along a road in the Jordan Valley
(photo credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)

An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.3 on the Richter scale was felt across Israel on Wednesday afternoon, the Geological Survey of Israel's Seismology and Earthquakes division confirmed.

Two earthquakes were reportedly felt by many Israeli citizens across the country, who shared their experience on social media prior to the Geological Survey of Israel's confirmation.

The earthquake's hypocenter was located some 20 km. southeast of the West Bank city of Ariel, in the Jordan Valley. It occurred at 4:58 p.m., the division said.

A second earthquake in the space of five hours was felt in northern Israel on Wednesday evening when a 3.9 magnitude quake struck near Lebanon's border with Syria, some 123 km. away from the Druze town of Majdal Shams, to the north of the Golan Heights.

Earthquakes reach Israel as Middle East rocked

The European Mediterranean Seismological Center confirmed late on Tuesday night that two earthquakes of magnitude 4.8 and 3.2 respectively, which occurred in central Turkey, were also felt in Israel and the West Bank.

On Monday, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake that also originated in Turkey was felt across Israel.

 A man stands in front of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 6, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/CAGLA GURDOGAN)
A man stands in front of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 6, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/CAGLA GURDOGAN)

Israel's earthquake alarm systems were not triggered by the earthquake, the IDF's Home Front Command told Maariv, due to the earthquake not posing a threat to citizens.

No casualties were reported in the incident. These low-intensity earthquakes occurred against the backdrop of devastating earthquakes that shattered southeastern Turkey and Syria.