Reports of Egyptian Warnings to Netanyahu Before Oct. 7 Attack Recirculate

Recent foreign media reports, particularly from The Wall Street Journal, are reigniting claims that Egypt warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of an impending attack from Gaza prior to the October 7th Hamas assault. The latest reports allege that former Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel directly warned Netanyahu after two prior Egyptian alerts were reportedly conveyed to Israel about a month before the attack.

These claims are not new, having surfaced shortly after the October 7th massacre. The Wall Street Journal's report adds the detail of two additional warnings in early October, followed by a direct conversation between Kamel and Netanyahu. However, the reports, including those from The Atlantic which previously suggested Kamel visited Israel secretly in late September 2023, note that the warnings lacked specific details regarding the timing or scope of the attack, suggesting only a potential for significant escalation.

These publications follow other reports about alleged warnings received by Israel before October 7th. Claims of a warning from UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed to Netanyahu have also been circulating, though the UAE has officially denied any such direct conversation between leaders, stating that security discussions occur through relevant bodies.

Further reports about Hamas allegedly providing a warning to the Shin Bet security agency have also been denied by the agency. Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant suggested such a message related to the abduction of Israeli Elizabeth Tsurkov in Iraq, not a Hamas attack warning. The Prime Minister's Office has strongly denied the latest Egyptian warning claims, calling them false and recycled to mislead the public. They reiterated that Egypt officially denied warning Israel about the October 7th attack on October 11, 2023, and stated that Netanyahu did not meet or speak with Kamel in the months prior, nor did any Israeli intelligence official convey such a warning to the Prime Minister.