Four Israeli rock climbers were tragically killed yesterday in flash floods that ripped through canyons around the Dead Sea. MDA said the victims were three men and a woman in their 20s who had been in a group of 11 in the area, a rocky region of deep ravines, caves and lofty crags. The Dead Sea is surrounded by desert and generally arid cliffs. In spring, however, rain falling in Yerushalayim and neighboring hills can come rushing down the steep descents, causing sudden and violent torrents in otherwise dry spots.