Egypt Warned Israel of Hamas Attack Days Before October 7, Sources Claim

Egypt's intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, reportedly visited Israel on September 26, 2023, just 11 days before the Hamas attacks, to deliver a warning about the group's preparations for a large-scale assault. According to an investigation by The Atlantic, Kamel cautioned Israeli officials that time was running out to prevent further escalation and advised Jerusalem to offer Hamas additional economic concessions to avert conflict.

However, the Egyptian warning allegedly lacked specific details regarding the date, location, or operational plans that would have definitively linked it to the October 7 massacre. It remains unclear who specifically received this intelligence within the Israeli government, and how it was acted upon.

Sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not respond to requests for comment. In contrast, Tzachi Hanegbi, who served as Netanyahu's national security advisor at the time of the attacks, told The Atlantic that Kamel did not visit Israel on September 26 and that no warnings were received from Egypt. Netanyahu's office has previously denied that Kamel personally briefed the prime minister.

This revelation adds to previous reports suggesting that Netanyahu received advance warning of a large-scale attack but did not share this information with security chiefs prior to October 7.