Egypt Warned Netanyahu of Gaza Attack Days Before Oct. 7

Egypt's then-Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel reportedly contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early October 2023 to warn of an impending attack from the Gaza Strip, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing Arab government sources. This was reportedly the third such warning from Egypt, with two previous alerts allegedly unheeded by Israel.

The initial warning in June 2023 was described as vague, with Egypt emphasizing the volatile situation in Gaza and encouraging renewed negotiations with Hamas. A more serious warning was delivered in September when Kamel traveled to Israel, telling senior Israeli officials that the situation in Gaza was dire and "could explode in everyone's face." The officials reportedly responded that the situation was under control.

According to the report, Egyptian warnings continued up to 48 hours before the October 7th attack. The sources also claimed Netanyahu was informed of signs of an impending attack during a September 2023 conversation with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, but Netanyahu "did not seem convinced." The warnings, however, did not include specific details on the timing or scale of the attack.

Arab intelligence services reportedly identified a shift in Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's tone and threats, along with frequent meetings between Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. The Prime Minister's Office did not respond to the newspaper's questions about the call with Kamel. Previously, the office denied any calls between Netanyahu and Kamel in the months leading up to October 7th, and Netanyahu also denied receiving a personal warning from the UAE president.

This report follows a previous investigation by The Atlantic, which also stated Kamel visited Israel in late September 2023 to issue a warning. The Prime Minister's Office had dismissed that report as a "false claim" that had already been denied and was being "recycled to mislead the Israeli public." Then-National Security Council Chairman Tzachi Hanegbi had also denied to The Atlantic that Kamel visited Israel or that any Egyptian warning was delivered.