Egyptian Official: Israel Could Be Behind Deadly Shark Attack

Dec. 6: Tourists sunbathe and stand in the shallow waters at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. (AP)

An Egyptian official believes that Israel's intelligence agency might be behind the fatal shark attack of a German tourist in Sinai over the weekend, the Jerusalem Post reports.

"What is being said about the Mossad throwing the deadly shark (in the sea) to hit tourism in Egypt is not out of the question, but it needs time to confirm," South Sinai Gov. Muhammad Abdel Fadil Shousha told egynews.net.

Israeli officials told the Jerusalem Post that the claims were ludicrous and would not comment.

Egyptian authorities have reopened some Red Sea beaches that had been closed to swimmers after an unusual series of shark attacks over the past week.

Swimmers were being allowed back into the water of several bays at Sharm el-Sheikh, a resort at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula that is a renowned reef diving spot. Diving remained restricted to professionals.

Shark attacks at Egypt's Red Sea resorts are rare, and three shark experts from the U.S. are trying to determine what is behind them.

Besides the death, four other swimmers and snorkelers were badly injured.

On Tuesday, Ziad al-Basel of Egypt's Chamber of Diving and Watersports, said a limited number of bays were reopened for swimmers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.