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

Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel personally called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early October 2023 to warn him that Hamas was planning an attack on Israel, according to Arab officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. This call reportedly followed two prior Egyptian warnings about impending signs of an attack from Gaza that did not receive a response from Israel. The call, previously unreported, adds to a series of early warnings Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials allegedly received before the October 7 Hamas onslaught.

Earlier reports indicated that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also spoke with Netanyahu in late September 2023, warning him that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a significant move against Israel. According to these reports, bin Zayed expressed concern that the event could lead to bloodshed, destabilize the region, and harm the Abraham Accords, urging Netanyahu to act against the threat. However, Netanyahu reportedly reacted to this information with relative calm. The Prime Minister's office denied these reports.

The Wall Street Journal report suggests that Kamel's call was a third warning, with Egyptians continuing to warn Israel up to two days before the Hamas attack. Earlier, in June 2023, an initial, vague Egyptian warning indicated the situation in Gaza was volatile and encouraged Israel to return to negotiations with Hamas. A more serious warning followed in September, with Kamel clarifying that the situation in Gaza could "explode in everyone's face," but Israeli officials reportedly responded that the situation was under control.

Netanyahu's office has repeatedly denied that such conversations with Kamel or bin Zayed took place, and denied that any Egyptian warning about an impending attack was conveyed to Netanyahu. In response to a report by The Atlantic, the Prime Minister's office stated that the claim of an Egyptian warning was "false" and that Netanyahu had not met or spoken with Kamel in the months preceding October 7, nor had any Israeli intelligence official conveyed such a warning to him.

In separate news, Palestinian reports indicate that extremist settlers set fire to cars and spray-painted revenge slogans in villages in the West Bank overnight. In the village of Deir Abu Mashal near Ramallah, Hebrew graffiti was found reading "Happy holiday from the happy Jews" and "Revenge, Ein Ra'aya," referencing a recent attack near the settlement of Neve Tzuf where an Israeli man was killed. Cars were also reportedly set on fire in the nearby village of Ras Karkar.