Egyptian Intelligence Chief Warned Netanyahu of Impending Gaza Attack: Report

Former Egyptian Director of General Intelligence, Abbas Kamel, reportedly contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early October 2023 to warn him of an imminent attack from the Gaza Strip, according to Arab government sources cited by The Wall Street Journal. This was allegedly the third such warning from Egypt, with two prior alerts apparently unheeded by Israel.

The Prime Minister's Office has denied these reports. According to the sources, the first warning was delivered in June 2023 and was vague, stating that the situation in Gaza was volatile and urging Israel to resume negotiations with Hamas. In September, Kamel allegedly traveled to Israel to deliver a more serious warning, telling 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.

Sources claim that Egyptian warnings continued up to 48 hours before the October 7th attack. The report also suggests that Netanyahu was informed of signs of an impending attack during a September 2023 conversation with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, though Netanyahu "did not seem convinced." The sources noted that the warnings lacked specific details regarding the timing or scale of the attack. Arab intelligence services had reportedly identified a shift in the tone and threats from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, as well as frequent meetings between Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza.

The Prime Minister's Office initially did not respond to specific questions about the call with Kamel but later issued a strong denial, calling the report a "false claim" that had been previously denied and was being recycled to mislead the Israeli public. They stated that Netanyahu did not meet or speak with Kamel in the months preceding October 7th, nor did any Israeli intelligence official convey such a warning to the Prime Minister.

Netanyahu himself has denied receiving a personal warning from the UAE president. Egyptian and UAE foreign ministries have not commented. Netanyahu later took to social media to deny the reports, criticizing former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and accusing him of trying to shift blame for his failures. Netanyahu claimed Bar held discussions with the IDF Chief of Staff and head of military intelligence on the day of the attack but chose not to update the Prime Minister or alert forces on the ground, instead sending a small team to a music festival that was attacked.