RAMALLAH, West Bank — An earthquake that measured 5.2 magnitude hit Palestine on June 27. Since the earthquake, whose epicenter was in the Red Sea region, the Earth Sciences and Seismic Engineering Center at An-Najah National University in Nablus has been tracking seismic activity south of Aqaba.

This earthquake was one of hundreds that had been tracked by earthquake detectors in the region since the beginning of the year, which prompted experts to renew their calls for increasing preparations to face a possible earthquake. Studies indicate that Palestine, which is situated in a seismically active region, would be greatly affected by a strong earthquake.

Jalal Dabbeek, director of the Earth Sciences and Seismic Engineering Center, told Al-Monitor, “Our region is considered seismically active, and it might face a strong earthquake that could reach a magnitude of 7.” He added, “Scientific studies show that earthquakes are just a matter of time. They might happen today, tomorrow, in a month or in years, because the Earth’s core is in constant motion.”

According to Dabbeek, several faults exist in Palestine, and their time to crack or cause an earthquake has come. These include mainly the Dead Sea faults, whose rupture recurs every 80-100 years — this area witnessed the last earthquake in 1927. The Carmel fault witnessed the last earthquake in 1759 and claimed the lives of 40,000 people in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, causing tsunami waves. The Tiberias faults have a cycle of 500-800 years, and they are by far the worst in terms of strength due to their long cycle. The last earthquake in that region happened in 1202.