A series of explosions have taken place in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula at the resort areas of Taba, Nuweiba and Ras al-Shitan late Oct. 7. In Taba, a large explosion at the Hilton Hotel, thought to be a suicide bomb or car bomb blast, knocked down some interior walls and the ceiling in the lobby area and caused dozens of casualties. There are some reports that 10 floors near the explosion site collapsed, and electricity in the area is reportedly out.

There is little information thus far on the other explosions — there were even some reports that they did not take place — but Egyptian media later reported seven casualties. The areas of Nuweiba and Ras al-Shitan have weak and limited security, a recent traveler to the resort towns reported, but the general impression by the Israeli tourists who frequent the area was — as the towns gain most of their revenue from foreign tourists — they were relatively safe, despite their location on the Sinai Peninsula.

This has the immediate potential to create a new level of tensions between Israel and Egypt, as well as unnerve the Egyptian leadership. Cairo has worked long and hard to keep Islamist militancy under wraps, particularly after the November 1997 Luxor attack by Gamaa al-Islamiyah that left 70 dead, including 58 foreign tourists. For Cairo, this is doubly troubling, given the ongoing preparation for the death of President Hosni Mubarak and the likely transfer of power to his son. On Sept. 9, the Israeli Foreign Ministry warned citizens against travel to the Sinai Peninsula. "A concrete possibility has emerged that terrorists will try to attack tourist centers in Egypt, especially the Sinai," the ministry cautioned.

There are some initial reports that Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attacks. As a result of crackdowns on Hamas militants and leadership in recent months the group has responded with a series of threats against Israel and Israeli targets — most recently with the twin suicide bombing of buses in Beersheba, which was followed Sept. 21 by a threat to stage more suicide bombings in response to Israeli's latest air strikes.

While Hamas may have claimed the attack, al Qaeda-related militants are also interested in attacks in the area, which would not only strike out at Israel but also punish Egypt for its cooperation with the United States. In an Oct. 1 audiotape released by al Qaeda's number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al Qaeda leader called on Islamist militants to rise up and look to the Palestinians for examples. He also urged them not to wait for the United States or others to invade or attack them, but to take the offensive. A strike at Israelis gathered at resorts during a holiday in Egypt not only takes the fight to the Israelis abroad, it also has the potential to strain ties between Egypt and Israel, potentially raising support inside Egypt for the Islamist cause as tensions mount.

The ball is now in Egypt's court. If the attack was limited to Taba, it would simply represent an overextension of Hamas, just across the border. But with the other attacks in Nuweiba and Ras al-Shitan, it represents an attack not only against Israel but against the entire Egyptian tourist industry, and the response will be as far reaching as that after Luxor. Egypt will crack down harshly on Islamist radicals and militants in Egypt, and cooperate with Israel on Hamas.