Last Thursday, a 4.2-magnitude earthquake struck near the Dead Sea in southern Israel; only a few days later, on Sunday, another earthquake rumbled near the northern city of Tiberias with a magnitude of 3.7.
According to accepted estimates, a significant earthquake strikes Israel roughly once every 100 years – and the last major one, with a magnitude of 6.2, was recorded in 1927.
Israel's reference scenario for a major earthquake envisions some 7,000 fatalities, tens of thousands of injured and hundreds of thousands left without shelter. Extensive damage is also expected to affect transportation, communications and electricity infrastructure, along with spreading diseases resulting from contaminated food and water and poor hygiene conditions in temporary housing.
Because earthquakes are inherently unpredictable, Israeli hospitals are required to conduct regular emergency drills – some small and internal, others large-scale with rescue services and additional hospitals.
In December 2025, an emergency drill was held at Ziv Medical Center, the hospital in Safed that serves residents of the Eastern Galilee and Golan Heights. The drill was attended by senior officials including Health Minister Haim Katz, Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov and Ziv director Prof. Salman Zarka.
For the first time, the drill included reinforced emergency and trauma medical teams from Tel Aviv's Ichilov Medical Center, deployed by a Magen David Adom helicopter. A field hospital operated by Sheba Medical Center was also set up, with capabilities for emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, outpatient clinics, imaging and laboratory services.
