Egyptian Intelligence Chief Warned Netanyahu of Attack Days Before Oct. 7

Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel reportedly called 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 followed two previous warnings from Egypt that allegedly went unheeded by Israel.

Egyptian warnings began months earlier, with officials in June 2023 stating the situation in Gaza was unstable and urging a return to negotiations with Hamas. In September, Kamel visited Israel with a more urgent message: the situation in Gaza was dire and could explode. Israeli officials 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 scope. This latest report adds to previous publications detailing warning messages received by Netanyahu prior to the Hamas assault.

Earlier reports indicated that Kamel had secretly visited Israel on September 26th to warn Israeli officials of a significant Hamas buildup. The United Arab Emirates also reportedly conveyed warnings to Israel in mid-September about a potential violent action by Hamas by the end of the month. Some Israeli officials reportedly dismissed these warnings after no attack occurred.

Netanyahu was also reportedly briefed on signs of a potential Hamas attack during a September meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, but did not appear convinced. The Prime Minister's Office has previously denied that Netanyahu spoke with Kamel or received such warnings from the UAE before October 7th, stating that no Israeli intelligence official conveyed such a warning to the Prime Minister.