US Confirms Egypt's Pre-Oct. 7 Warning to Netanyahu

Washington has confirmed that Egypt issued a warning to Israel regarding an impending attack prior to October 7, according to Israeli journalist Ben Caspit. Caspit reported that the chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee confirmed, based on American intelligence, that Egypt alerted Israel days before the Hamas assault. Caspit also claims that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu in a phone call. He stated this information was verified through multiple channels, though unofficially.

The UAE initially remained silent after the report surfaced, later issuing a "weak" denial, according to Caspit. He argued that a swift and categorical denial would be expected if the report were false, given the close ties between the UAE and Israel.

Caspit, however, considers the warnings themselves a secondary issue. He believes the discussion of warnings benefits Netanyahu by allowing some to argue that he cannot be blamed if he was not forewarned. Caspit strongly asserts that even without any warnings, Netanyahu bears "full, absolute, final, and undeniable" responsibility for the October 7 "massacre."

Caspit bases this on the principle that a leader is responsible for events during their tenure, citing Netanyahu's own past statements about prime ministerial responsibility for national security. He also points to Netanyahu's stance after the Second Lebanon War, where he emphasized the prime minister's ultimate accountability. Caspit also referenced Netanyahu's decisions regarding Hamas, Qatari money transfers to Gaza, and a reluctance for major confrontation, quoting Netanyahu saying, "I think that at this moment it is the right step. Every step has a price. When you make decisions as a leader, they always have a price. If you cannot bear the price, you cannot lead. And I know how to bear the price."

Caspit contends that while the "price" arrived on October 7, Netanyahu has not taken responsibility or resigned. Instead, Caspit alleges, Netanyahu continues to shift blame to others and promote narratives attributing the events to external factors. Caspit concludes that regardless of the specifics of the warnings, Netanyahu's political responsibility for the events during his long tenure remains the central issue.