Israel: Earthquake Tremors Hit Negev Desert, Spark Nuclear Test Rumours

Tel Aviv: A 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck Israel's southern Negev desert at 9:00 AM on Thursday, with its epicenter near the city of Dimona. This area is home to Israel's most secretive nuclear research center (the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center). The earthquake triggered sirens, causing panic, and rumors of a nuclear test spread on social media.

What are the details of the earthquake?

Time: 9:00 AM (local time)
Magnitude: 4.2 on the Richter scale
Depth: 10 kilometers (shallow)
Epicenter: Approximately 19 km from Dimona, in the Dead Sea Rift Valley
Impact: Tremors were felt in the Negev, the Dead Sea region, Beersheba, and even parts of Jerusalem. Some people reported shaking for 1-2 seconds, but there were no injuries or major damage.

Earthquakes are common in Israel's Dead Sea Rift Valley, as it is a zone of tectonic plates. However, the timing and location of this earthquake surprised many.

Why the nuclear test rumors?

Dimona is home to Israel's nuclear reactor, where experts believe Israel has been producing plutonium and developing nuclear weapons since the 1960s. Israel has never joined the NPT and maintains a policy of strategic ambiguity.

The shallow depth and short duration (a few seconds) of the earthquake resembled a nuclear test. Coincidentally, a national emergency drill was being conducted in schools across the country at the same time. People on social media were asking if Israel had conducted a nuclear test.

Former Israeli footballer Alon Mizrahi wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the small but unusual earthquake near Dimona suggested Israel was sending a message to the US. American MMA fighter Jake Shields suggested it was a warning to Trump about fighting Iran.