Earthquake in Israel

The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 3.8 on the Richter scale, was reportedly felt by residents of northern and central Israel on Wednesday.

Some 60% of hospitals are not resistant to earthquakes, and only about 5% of educational institutions have been or are being reinforced.

Israel is located at the juncture of the African and Arabian tectonic plates and, therefore, faces an elevated seismic threat. Experts say a major earthquake is not a matter of if, but when.

Many Israeli cities vulnerable to earthquakes are unprepared and have unfortified buildings and schools.

Almost none of Israel's 80,000 buildings are capable to withstand a major quake.

The Israeli government needs to plan to strengthen 800,000 buildings and critical infrastructure before it’s too late, experts warn.

Rabbi Amar said that the earthquakes that have struck Israel are a direct result of the rise in LGBTQ+ rights in Israel.

According to the Education Ministry, 1,600 schools are at risk of collapse in the event of an earthquake and only 87 have been reinforced. 

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

There is a government plan to improve the structural integrity of buildings to protect from earthquakes, but it isn't really being carried out, a top official said.