Israelis sue Hilton chain for negligence

JERUSALEM, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Israelis wounded in a 2004 attack at the Hilton Hotel in Sinai are suing the hotel chain for negligence for the car bomb that killed 31 people, officials said.

Some 100 Israelis wounded in the attack are included in the suit, filed in Jerusalem District court Tuesday, and demand compensation of $18.5 million, Ynetnews.com said Tuesday.

Attorneys Moshe Zingel and Amikam Harlap who are representing the plaintiffs said at the time of the attack the Foreign Ministry warned Israelis to refrain from visiting the Sinai, fearing they would be targeted by terrorists operating in the area, the Web site said.

The hotel in Taba, on the Israeli-Egyptian border, failed to take the necessary precautions and was neglectful in guarding its guests, the lawsuit charges.

Hotel management was accused of ignoring "the most basic security and safety arrangements," the site said.

The plaintiffs claimed security guards stationed at the hotel prior to the attack, were not present the day it occurred. The site said an American court ruled a lawsuit filed against the hotel in 2006 should be heard in Israel or Egypt.

On October 7, 2004, terrorists carried out three simultaneous bomb attacks at tourists sites in the Sinai, including the hotel. Thirty-four people were killed in the attacks and 171 injured. The force of the blast at the hotel caused the building to collapse.