strong tremor was felt in most major cities in Israel and parts of the West Bank Wednesday morning at 10:16.

The quake lasted about 25 seconds.

Two people were hospitalized at the Hadassah Ein Karem hospital for stress-related symptoms, and a further 17 people were treated for the same symptoms countrywide, Magen David Adom reported.

An official at the Seismology Division of the Israeli Geophysical Institute told the Jerusalem Post that the center of the earthquake was in the Northern Dead Sea region and measured 5 on the Richter scale.

The Education Ministry has ordered all schools closed until 12:30 for fear of after-shocks.

Police countrywide have made available extra vehicles and patrols to assist residents, Israel Radio reported.

Magen David Adom reported that a construction worker in Netanya fell off the fifth floor of a building because of the quake. He was evacuated to Hillel Yaffe Hospital in a moderate condition.

The tremor was felt in Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Kiryat Shmona, Arad, Kfar Sava, Hadera and the Dead Sea.

At the Knesset, lawmakers sitting in committee meetings feared a large bomb had gone off, Israel Army radio reported.

A crack developed in the decorative ceiling above the minister's table, and plenum meetings have been postponed pending engineering examinations.

The ceiling above the exit to the Prime Minister's office has developed a crack, and an engineering crew inspected the glass partition at the visitor's gallery.

The quake was felt for about 20 seconds in the Jordanian capital of Amman, sending frightened residents out of their homes, AP reported.

It also was felt in Lebanon as well as the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Police report many calls from worried residents, but no injuries have been reported.

Israel Radio reported that residents in various cities have called in saying some buildings have collapsed, but these reportes have not been confirmed.

Infrastructure Minister Yosef Paritzky said that institutes had been waiting for an earthquake from the northern Dead Sea region, but added that if this was "the one they have been waiting for, we have just witnessed a miracle."

Paritzky said all communications and electricty centers are operating normally.

Israel is located on the Syria-Africa great rift which stands over a friction point between two tectonic plates, an area prone to earthquakes.

The rift runs for 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) between Syria and Mozambique and passes through the Dead Sea, below Jerusalem's eastern hills.

The fault line was caused by the separation of African and Eurasian tectonic plates 35 million years ago, a split that weakened the Earth's crust.

About 35 miles (55 kilometers) to the north, another fault line cuts the land east to west from the Mediterranean port of Haifa with the West Bank towns of Jenin and Nablus before reaching the Jordan River.

Recent earthquakes include a 7.2 in 1967 epicentered in Eilat, and another measuring 6.2 in 1927.

The last earthquake registered in the region was on December 31st 2003 at 10:44 PM, measured 3.7 and was epicentered at Kibbutz Ein Gedi, near the Dead Sea.

In the 18th century, Israel was struck by a major earthquake, and again in 1837, destroying the northern city of Zefat.

Hmmm... didn't feel anything in Tel Aviv..

I remember the one that hit here in 1997 off the coast of Cyprus.. whoooa mama!

Hope there was no serious injuries. Are earthquakes common in Israel?

Savannah said:

I am on the 5th Floor and i felt my Table move all over the place...

My whole building shook like a leaf.