An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale was felt from Eilat to Tel Aviv. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale occurred off the coast of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula shortly after 6:30 p.m. Saturday and was felt all the way from Eilat at the southernmost tip of Israel to the greater Tel Aviv area in central Israel.

The epicenter of the seismic event was 39 miles from Eilat and 192 miles from Jerusalem. Hundreds of residents of metropolitan Tel Aviv and southern Israel reported feeling the quake, which they said lasted a few seconds. No injuries were reported. Flight traffic at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport was suspended for about 10 minutes while runways were inspected.

The Israel Defense Forces’ Homefront Command reported receiving approximately 100 calls after the quake.