Egyptian Intelligence Chief Warned Israel of Attack Before Oct. 7

Extensive investigations published in the United States reveal a series of alarming warnings and messages received by Israel in the weeks leading up to the October 7th massacre. These reports indicate that the head of Egyptian intelligence made a brief, secret visit to Israel 11 days before the attack, and Cairo continued to send messages up to two days prior. According to The New York Times, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed personally warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas was considering a major offensive, though Netanyahu vehemently denies receiving such a warning.

Central to these reports is the detail that none of the warnings specified October 7th, a concrete target, or detailed information about the large-scale infiltration attack carried out by Hamas. A report by The Atlantic, based on interviews with numerous Israeli, Egyptian, Arab, American, and European officials, details that on September 26, 2023, a chartered Cessna linked to Egyptian intelligence landed at Ben Gurion Airport. Onboard was Abbas Kamel, then head of Egyptian intelligence and a close associate of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The plane remained in Israel for just 67 minutes before returning to Cairo.

Sources from seven countries told The Atlantic that Kamel's visit was intended to deliver an urgent warning: Hamas appeared to be organizing for a major attack, and the window to prevent escalation was closing. Kamel reportedly advised Israel to implement economic concessions for Gaza to avert conflict. An Israeli official briefed on the visit described Kamel's message as, "Gaza will blow up in your face." An Egyptian source explained that Sisi sending his intelligence chief for such a short visit signaled the gravity of the situation from Cairo's perspective.

However, the warning lacked concrete intelligence about the October 7th attack. Kamel did not provide a date, target, or operational method, nor did he describe the coordinated infiltration. The timing of Kamel's visit is significant, as it occurred shortly before Netanyahu attended a ceremony marking 50 years since the Yom Kippur War, where he discussed the strategic surprise of 1973. The Atlantic does not claim Netanyahu met Kamel directly or received the warning personally.

Egypt reportedly continued to issue warnings to Israel until October 5th, just two days before the massacre. These final messages also lacked specific dates or operational methods but conveyed a sense of urgency about a potential attack. The UAE's warning to Netanyahu, as reported by The New York Times, also lacked sufficient specificity regarding whether Hamas planned rocket fire or a ground invasion. Netanyahu denies this conversation took place. Despite these warnings, none included the date, targets, or operational plan of the October 7th attack.