Egyptian Intelligence Chief Warned Netanyahu of Attack Before Oct. 7

Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early October 2023 to warn him of a potential attack from the Gaza Strip, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. According to sources cited by the newspaper, Netanyahu had also been informed of signs pointing to a Hamas attack during a September 2023 meeting with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed, but "did not seem convinced."

While the specific timing and scope of the potential attack were not detailed in the warnings, Kamel's call to Netanyahu's office occurred just days before the October 7 Hamas assault. Netanyahu's office did not respond to The Wall Street Journal's inquiries, and the foreign ministries of Egypt and the UAE also declined to comment on the report.

In a separate development, Michael Eisenberg, Netanyahu's envoy for Gaza affairs, met with Qatar's Amir's representative, Minister Ali Al-Thawadi, in New York. The meeting, reported by N12 News, took place the day before Netanyahu's UN General Assembly speech, in which he criticized Qatar for allegedly funding anti-Israel media and universities.

During their approximately 30-minute discussion, Eisenberg and Al-Thawadi reportedly discussed the implementation of the Trump plan for Gaza and humanitarian steps Israel committed to undertake. They also spoke about the situation in Gaza.

Amidst reports of prior warnings, Netanyahu made an unannounced visit to the UAE on Sunday to meet with President bin Zayed. This visit followed a Haaretz report suggesting bin Zayed had also conveyed a warning to Netanyahu before the October 7 massacre. Netanyahu departed Ben Gurion Airport shortly after noon on a private jet and landed in Abu Dhabi at 3:10 PM, returning to Israel late that night.