makers celebrated the end of Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, a Jewish holiday, several news reports said.
Israeli media and other news reports said ten floors of the Hilton hotel in Taba had collapsed, while another part of the building was in flames, as medics rushed to the Red Sea town to treat dozens of injured civilians, after what was believed to be a bomb attack.
"I heard a huge explosion. The wall near me collapsed and people began to run. There were many casualties," one Israeli witness called Yigal told Israel’s Army Radio, the Reuters news agency reported.
Media said the first explosion came at Taba’s Hilton hotel, just yards away from the Israeli border.
The Associated Press news agency reported that at least 22 injured people were taken away. Witnesses said there were many more casualties with people remaining trapped under rubble.
BLASTS
Two other blasts followed the initial explosion at the Hilton Hotel, about two hours later south of there, near a camping area full of Israeli tourists.
Several reports said that Israeli border guards had advised Jewish holiday makers not to travel to
the popular Sinai Peninsula in neighboring Egypt amid fears that Hamas and other Palestinian militant organizations may carry out attacks in response to an ongoing Israeli invasion in Gaza.
Hamas had already threatened a major attack against Israeli targets after Israeli troops killed at least 80 Palestinians, including gunmen, in Gaza.
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