Israel officials are blaming the al Qaeda terrorist network for a series of apparently coordinated attacks in Egypt's popular Sinai Peninsula, as the death toll continues to mount.

A large gaping hole in the facade of the Taba Hilton hotel shows the devastation that was left behind by the first of what would be three blasts. A vehicle laden with explosives drove into lobby of the hotel as hundreds of Israelis relaxed by the pool and gambled at the casino.

By the end of the night, there were more explosions -- at the hotel swimming pool and two nearby campsites popular with Israeli backpackers.

At least 29 people were killed in the bombings -- 27 at the hotel and another two at a camping area south in Ras Shitan, south of Taba.

Most of the dead are believed to be Israelis. There are reports that at least five Egyptians and one Russian were also killed.

At an emergency Cabinet meeting Friday morning, Israeli intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Zeevi-Farkash blamed the bombings on Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network.

"On the face of things, this is different from what we are familiar with from Palestinian terrorist groups," Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim said in an earlier interview with Israel's Army Radio.

The security adviser to the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat told al-Jazeera television that no Palestinian factions were responsible for the explosions.

Egyptian officials, wary of the new Israeli military push into Gaza happening just across the border, have said it's too early to speculate.

Searching for survivors

Rescue workers are sifting through the rubble of the Taba Hilton using their hands instead of heavy machinery, which could drown out the sound of survivors. They also used sniffer dogs, but there is little hope of finding anyone alive.

As night fell Friday, rescuers used massive flood lights so they could continue working. Israeli and Egyptian crews are working near each other, but not together.

Meanwhile, there has been an exodus of tourists, heeding an Israeli government warning to get out. Israelis had been told in September by the government not to travel to Egypt, specifically the Sinai Peninsula, where Taba is located.

Taba is frequented by Israelis who travel to resorts and hotels on the Red Sea. Thursday was the last day of the Jewish holiday Sukkot, when thousands of Israelis vacation in the Sinai.

The Taba Hilton was packed when the first explosions went off, at around 10 p.m. local time.

One couple near the hotel said the blast through them off their feet.

"We were near the lobby and we flew back and fell. There was silence, deadly silence, and then there was hysteria,'' Rachel Atlas told Israel's Channel Two television.

Some people, fearing more explosions, ran into the sea. Other ran to the border, dazed and bleeding. But they had to wait for Egyptian permission to leave. Even ambulance drivers wanting to get to the burning hotel were forced to idle under given the go-ahead.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office said he and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak have already to coordinate their fight against terrorism.

Egypt has increased security precautions at the airports in Cairo and in the southern tourist cities of Luxor, Hurghada and Aswan.

This is the first major attack on Egyptian soil since 1997 in the city of Luxor, where 58 tourists were killed by Islamic militants.

Israel captured Sinai in the 1967 Middle East war. It was returned to Egypt after a 1979 peace deal.

With reports from CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer and The Associated Press