Egyptian Intelligence Chief Warned Netanyahu of Attack Before Oct. 7, Report Claims

The head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel, contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early October 2023 to warn of a potential attack from the Gaza Strip, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, citing Arab government officials. This call reportedly came after two previous warnings from Egypt to Israel went unheeded.

Egyptian warnings allegedly began months earlier. In June 2023, Egyptian officials informed their Israeli counterparts that the situation in Gaza was unstable and urged a return to negotiations with Hamas. A more direct warning was delivered in September when Kamel visited Israel, stating that the situation in Gaza was dire and could "explode." Israeli officials, however, reportedly responded that the situation was under control.

According to the report, Egyptian officials continued to warn Israel up to 48 hours before the October 7th attack. However, these warnings did not include a specific date or an assessment of the attack's potential scale. This report adds to previous publications detailing warning messages received by Israel from Egypt, including a secret visit by Kamel to Israel on September 26th to warn of a significant Hamas buildup, and another message on October 5th about a potential escalation in Gaza.

Other reports suggest that the UAE's intelligence agency also warned Israel in mid-September about a potential violent action by Hamas by the end of the month. When no attack occurred, Israeli officials reportedly dismissed the UAE's intelligence as inaccurate. Additionally, a message from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, conveyed through Fatah official Soufan Abu Zaida, suggested an "earthquake" regarding prisoners and missing persons, which was interpreted by some Israeli officials as fitting new intelligence.

Netanyahu's office vehemently denied the report, calling it a "false claim" that was "recycled to mislead the Israeli public." They stated that Netanyahu did not meet or speak with Kamel in the months preceding October 7th, and no Israeli intelligence official conveyed such a warning to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's office also pointed to an official Egyptian denial on October 11, 2023, that they had warned Israel about the October 7th attack.