A 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook near the Turkey-Syria border Monday and was felt throughout Israel.
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the earthquake occurred in the area at a depth of two kilometers. The tremor was felt in many cities in Israel including Tel Aviv, Haifa, Be'er Sheva, Ashdod, Rishon LeZion, Nahariya, and Afula.
According to Israel’s Geological Survey, "An earthquake was felt in the country, a little after 7:00 p.m. The epicenter isn’t located in the country, but to the north. Further details are being looked into."
Israelis from all over across the country reported feeling the tremor in their homes.
"I was playing on my computer and suddenly felt it moving back and forth. It lasted for quite a long time," said Ziva, a resident of Nahariya in northern Israel.
Yatsi, living in Rishon LeZion, said that "I felt my chair shaking for a few seconds. I have a key hanging on the door, and whenever there’s a quake, it swings."
Idan Rahamim from Afula said, "I was at home playing with the kids when suddenly all of the lights started shaking. I wasn't alarmed, I live on the fourth floor. It's a new building so I wasn’t too concerned about it. We stayed home and didn't move anywhere."
Udi Buch, living in Haifa, said that "I live on the 11th floor, my wife and I were sitting in the living room and suddenly everything shook. The earthquake lasted only a few seconds, but it was felt well. It was quite scary."
"I live on the ground floor in Kiryat Motzkin, and I heard an earthquake alarm go off from the nursing home nearby," Ron Schwartz told Ynet. "A few seconds after the alarm, I felt the tremors. I grabbed the kids and we ran to a shelter."
In Turkey and Syria, where more than 45,000 people were killed in major tremors over two weeks ago, authorities fear further damages and loss of lives as a result of the quake.
Witnesses in Turkey and Syria so far reported damage to buildings in Antakya and Aleppo, alongside power outages.
Two other quakes were felt in Israel two weeks ago, the first measuring at 3.5 and the second – which occurred a day after – at 3.3 according to data from the Geological Survey. The survey also added that both quakes originated in central Israel.