Egyptian Intelligence Chief Warned Netanyahu of Imminent Gaza Attack

The head of Egyptian intelligence contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early October 2023 to warn of an impending attack from Gaza, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The report states that then-Director of General Intelligence Abbas Kamel made the call, which was the third such warning from Egypt. Previous warnings, described as vague in June and more serious in September, had cautioned about the volatile situation in Gaza and the potential for escalation, but Israeli officials reportedly maintained the situation was under control.

Sources cited by the Journal indicated that Egyptian warnings continued up to approximately 48 hours before the October 7th attack. The report also claims Netanyahu was informed of signs of an impending attack during a September 2023 meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, though sources suggested Netanyahu did not appear convinced. However, the warnings did not include specific details about the timing or scale of the assault. Arab intelligence services had reportedly noted a change in tone and threats from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, alongside frequent meetings among Hamas and Islamic Jihad representatives in Gaza.

The Prime Minister's Office declined to comment on the call with Kamel. Previously, the office had denied that Netanyahu spoke with the Egyptian intelligence chief in the months before October 7th, and also denied receiving a personal warning from the UAE president. The foreign ministries of Egypt and the UAE also declined to comment.

This report follows similar claims from The Atlantic magazine, which stated Kamel visited Israel on September 26, 2023, and issued warnings to senior Israeli officials. The Prime Minister's Office dismissed The Atlantic's report as a false and recycled claim intended to mislead the public. Earlier, The New York Times reported that Netanyahu had prevented a preemptive strike in Gaza to maintain quiet and had not mentioned the warning from the UAE president during a security discussion on October 1st. This corroborated an earlier report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which alleged Netanyahu received a direct warning from the UAE president about a "major move" planned by Sinwar days before the attack but did not update security chiefs.