FACT CHECK: Did Israel Just Have An Earthquake?
A post made on X claims that Israel experienced an earthquake Oct. 5.
EARTHQUAKE JUST NOW IN ISRAEL pic.twitter.com/ctRfLxSuYj
— 𝕏 (@AlertChannel) October 5, 2024
Fact Check:
Israel has added a fourth division to its forces entering Lebanon, signaling an expansion in its operations against Hezbollah, according to The New York Times. This comes as the Central Intelligence Agency director stated that the risk of escalation between Iran and Israel “remains.”
A post made on X claims that Israel experienced an earthquake on October 5th. The caption reads, “EARTHQUAKE JUST NOW IN ISRAEL.” The photo included with the post depicts a map with a red circle around Tel Aviv.
The claim is false. USGS data shows that no earthquake occurred in Israel on or shortly before October 5th. No credible sources have reported that an earthquake occurred near Tel Aviv around October 5th. (RELATED: No, Pakistan Did Not Threaten Nuclear Retaliation Against Israel)
The EMSC made a post on X that verifies there is no data that indicates an earthquake occurred in Israel around October 5th. The caption reads, “#Israel 19 min ago⚠ We have no data confirming this crowdsourced detection. 👉 It likely was a false detection. No more info will be displayed in the thread. ”
When asked for comment, EMSC told Check Your Fact, “we stress the preliminary and unconfirmed nature of this detection. The second message in the thread confirms that this detection has not been confirmed.” Check Your Fact has also reached out to USGS for comment.
Due to the tension between Israel and Iran, many social media users have attributed the false detection to an alleged Iranian nuclear test. No reputable sources have reported that Iran conducted a nuclear test on or close to October 5th.
