Netanyahu's Office Rejects 'Atlantic' Report on Pre-Oct. 7 Egyptian Warning

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a sharp response to a new report in The Atlantic magazine, which claimed that former Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel had warned Israeli officials of a severe deterioration in Gaza shortly before the October 7th Hamas attack. The Prime Minister's office vehemently denied the report, calling it a recycled falsehood that had already surfaced immediately after the attack. According to the statement, no meeting or conversation took place between Netanyahu and Kamel prior to the attack, nor was such a warning conveyed to the Prime Minister through Israeli intelligence channels.

The Prime Minister's office pointed to denials published in Egypt on October 11, 2023, just days after the Hamas assault. On that date, Egyptian media quoted senior Cairo officials who rejected reports that Egypt had preemptively warned Israel of a large-scale attack, denying any such alert was issued in the days before October 7th. Netanyahu's office had also previously denied such a warning on October 9, 2023, stating that Netanyahu had not met or spoken with Kamel since the government was formed and labeling the report as "fake news."

The Atlantic's latest report, citing its sources, presents a different version. It alleges Kamel arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on September 26, 2023, and met with senior Israeli officials. While he did not provide concrete details on the timing or nature of an attack, he reportedly warned that the situation could escalate and that Hamas was preparing for a significant escalation. The report does not state that Netanyahu himself received the message directly, but rather describes a general warning conveyed to senior Israeli officials.

At the time, National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi also denied to the magazine that such a visit occurred or that an Egyptian warning was delivered. The issue of an Egyptian warning has been a recurring point of public discussion since the early days after the attack, with conflicting reports emerging in October 2023. One anonymous Egyptian source claimed Israel received messages that Hamas was planning "something big," while official Egyptian sources later denied any early warning was given. Therefore, there is still no single agreed-upon version accepted by all parties. The new publication brings the issue back into focus but does not override the official denials from both the Prime Minister's office and senior Egyptian officials at the time. Netanyahu's office maintains that repeating the claim now does not lend it validity, emphasizing that no personal Egyptian warning about the October 7th attack was received by the Prime Minister or his team, nor was there a meeting or conversation with Kamel conveying such information. The office further asserts that no Israeli intelligence official conveyed a concrete warning of the type described in the publications to the Prime Minister.