Magnitude 5.3 earthquake shakes Rehovot, no damage or injuries reported

A mild earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter Scale was felt across Israel Monday night, from Kiryat Shmona in the north to the Rehovot area.

The quake's epicenter was located in Lebanon. Police and emergency centers in the north were flooded with phone calls from concerned citizens wishing to report the quake. Rehovot Moked service 106 confirmed the quake and its' moderated magnitude. No injuries or damage were reported.

As Ynet reports (14 February 2008), that "Shmuel Marko of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Geophysics in Tel Aviv University and Oded Katz of the GII, have recently published a new study, saying a major earthquake is heading Israel's way.

Past data, said the two, proves that such a quake is just a matter of time. "We know that the area between the Kinneret and the Dead Sea was subject to several large quakes, in 31BC, 362BC, 749BC and 1033AD. Another major one is coming soon."

Hofstetter seemed unfazed by Marko and Katz's study. "Saying Israel will be subject to a major earthquake is like saying the sun will rise tomorrow. A major quake in on the way," he said. "We just don't know where it's going to hit."