Tiberias Mayor Yossi Nevaeh felt his office move on Monday afternoon. The cause was the 3.2-magnitude earthquake recorded in the Sea of Galilee area. No injuries or damage has been reported.
“I was in a meeting in my office and suddenly felt the office move. It wasn’t frightening, it was brief, but I constantly speak about and warn of this danger — the city hall building is not reinforced and would be the first to collapse,” Nevaeh told ynet.
“Following the quake, we received dozens of calls from residents at the municipal hotline, but no damage was reported,” he added.
Last Thursday, shortly after 9 a.m., an earthquake was felt in the Dead Sea area and the northern Negev. Residents in those areas, as well as in Jerusalem, Beersheba, the western Negev, the Judean Foothills and other locations, reported feeling the tremor. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the quake measured 4.2 in magnitude and its epicenter was about 19 kilometers from Dimona. No injuries were reported.
Professional authorities in Israel stressed that earthquakes of similar magnitudes to those recorded this month are familiar, but they underscore the importance of preparedness and readiness for a more significant event.