For the second time this week – YWN has received close to a dozen emails from readers in Eretz Yisroel reporting an earthquake in their neighborhoods. Further investigation revealed that a quake measuring 5.3 had in fact rattled Eretz Yisroel. Although the quake was felt mainly on the coastal cities, YWN received reports from Kiryat Sefer, Chaifa, Bnei Brak, Yerushalayim and other locations.

As one YWN from Kiryat Sefer wrote: “My husband and I just felt an earthquake for about five seconds in Kiryat Sefer. We shook and my flower vase and picture on the wall were shaking.  The flowers in the vase continued moving for at least another thirty seconds after.”

The quake’s epicenter was located about 12.5 miles east of the south Lebanese town of Tyre, according to the Israeli Seismographic Institute.

The quake was the strongest to hit Israel in a decade – and was felt in Damascus and Beirut.

Boruch Hashem, although the Magen David Adom call-center was flooded with phone calls – there were no injuries reported as of this time.

Earlier this week a quake with a magnitude of 4.0 had rattled Eretz Yisroel [as reported HERE on YWN]. Boruch Hashem no one was injured, and there was no damage reported in that quake either.