Ex-Defense Minister Gallant Confirms Hamas Warning About Prison Unrest Before Oct. 7

Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed on Sunday that Hamas had issued a warning about potential unrest in Israeli prisons prior to the October 7th attacks. Speaking on a radio interview, Gallant stated that a message conveyed through the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) indicated that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar "would shake up the prisons." Gallant added that the Shin Bet and military intelligence (Aman) assessed this warning as being related to the potential abduction of an individual named Elizabeth Tsurkov.

Gallant also addressed reports of warnings from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), stating he was hearing about them for the first time through the media. He emphasized that if such warnings were received by a prime minister from a state leader, they should be treated as a national security asset, not a political one.

Furthermore, Gallant denied any knowledge of a visit by the head of Egyptian intelligence to Israel in the days leading up to October 7th. He asserted that such an event would not have occurred without his awareness or the knowledge of his subordinates.

This comes after a report by The Atlantic last week, which claimed that the head of Egyptian intelligence had landed in Israel less than two weeks before the October 7th massacre, warning of a significant Hamas buildup for a large-scale attack.