Earthquake centered in Syria shakes already-jittery northern Israel ...

An earthquake hit central Syria late Monday, with tremors felt in northern Israel along with Lebanon and Jordan.

Syria’s National Center for Earthquakes said a 5.5 magnitude quake struck 28 kilometers (17 miles) east of the city of Hama at 11:56 p.m. local time. The US Geological Survey put the quake’s magnitude at 5.0 and said it had a depth of 10 kilometers. The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) placed the magnitude at 4.8. Jordan’s state news agency reported a 3.9 magnitude aftershock less than an hour after the initial quake.

At least 25 people sustained minor to moderate injuries due to stampeding following the earthquake, the Syrian city of Hama’s Health Director Maher Younis said early on Tuesday.

Many in Syria had immediate flashbacks to 2023, when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed more than 50,000 – mostly in Turkey but with thousands also perishing in northern Syria. The quake also left widespread destruction in both countries.

In Damascus and Beirut residents descended to the streets fearing a stronger quake that would collapse buildings on Monday.

Both Lebanon and Syria have been hit by Israeli air strikes over the last 10 months as regional hostilities play out in parallel with the Gaza war, and several residents said they initially thought the quake was an air strike.

While Israel’s northern residents reported having felt the earthquake, there were no reports of damage or injuries.