Egypt Warned Israel of Imminent Gaza Explosion Before Oct. 7
Egypt's intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, made a secret visit to Israel on September 26, 2023, just 11 days before the Hamas attacks of October 7. During his visit, Kamel conveyed a stark warning to Israeli officials that Hamas was preparing a significant offensive and that the window to prevent escalation was rapidly closing. According to sources speaking to The Atlantic magazine, Kamel cautioned against a major deterioration in the Gaza Strip and recommended that Israel offer economic concessions to Hamas to avert a crisis.
One Israeli official described the message conveyed as, "Gaza will explode in your face" if Israel did not alter its policy towards the territory. The visit was brief; an aircraft linked to Egyptian intelligence landed at Ben Gurion Airport approximately two hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to speak at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. Airport Authority records indicate the plane remained in Israel for only 67 minutes before returning to Cairo.
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