Earthquake of magnitude 6.3 strikes Crete, Greece, GFZ says, felt in central Israel

Reports from Israelis, particularly in the center of the country, including Tel Aviv and surrounding areas, reported feeling shockwaves from the earthquake.

MAY 14, 2025 02:01

Updated: MAY 14, 2025 16:10

Seismic waves are seen on a screen during a demonstration of an earthquake early warning system which triggers sirens if a nationwide network of 120 seismic monitoring stations detects a strong earthquake, at the Geological Survey of Israel in Jerusalem. (photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS) — Seismic waves are seen on a screen during a demonstration of an earthquake early warning system which triggers sirens if a nationwide network of 120 seismic monitoring stations detects a strong earthquake, at the Geological Survey of Israel in Jerusalem.

(photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake on Wednesday struck the Greek island of Crete, which was felt in central Israel.

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake took place in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea at 22:51 UTC (3 minutes ago). The depth was 14km and was reported by EMSC. #earthquake #earthquakes #Sitia #Greece pic.twitter.com/ioUD4mCUxJ
— Earthquake Alerts (@QuakeAlerts) May 13, 2025

The quake was at a depth of 83 km., according to the German Research Center for Geosciences. Reports from Israelis, particularly in the center of the country, including Tel Aviv and the surrounding areas, reported feeling shock waves from the earthquake.

Residents in Egypt also felt the quake, with the country’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics reporting no casualties or property damage.

The institute said it recorded a quake of 6.4 magnitude 431 km. off Egypt’s northern coasts.

Israel tsunami risk

Earthquakes in the Eastern Mediterranean are felt periodically in Israel. In February, the deputy head of the National Security Council convened a meeting to emphasize that Israel needs to begin preparing for the risks of tsunamis from earthquakes in the region.

Yoav Etiel contributed to this report.