Egypt Warned Netanyahu of Gaza Attack Days Before Oct. 7

Egypt's intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early October 2023 to warn him of an impending attack from the Gaza Strip, according to Arab government officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. This was reportedly the third warning from Egypt, following two earlier, unheeded alerts. Kamel expressed growing concern about the situation, a sentiment echoed in previous reports by Smadar Perry in Ynet and Yediot Ahronot shortly after the October 7th massacre.

The Hamas attack on October 7th resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 abductions to Gaza. The call from Kamel, previously unreported, is one of several early warnings Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials allegedly received. According to sources familiar with the matter, Netanyahu was also informed of Hamas attack indications during a September 2023 conversation with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, but reportedly remained unconvinced.

Egyptian and UAE foreign ministries did not respond to requests for comment. Netanyahu's office also did not respond to The Wall Street Journal's inquiries, and has previously denied that such calls occurred in the months leading up to October 7th. The officials stated that the first Egyptian warning in June 2023 was vague, cautioning that the situation in Gaza was "explosive" and urging Israel to resume negotiations with Hamas.

Kamel reportedly traveled to Israel in September to deliver a more serious warning, stating the situation in Gaza could "explode in everyone's face." However, Israeli officials reportedly dismissed these concerns, asserting the situation was under control. Arab officials emphasized that Kamel's call to Netanyahu's office occurred just days before the attack.

In parallel, officials from the United Arab Emirates also expressed increasing concern about Hamas, sharing intelligence assessments with the US. They noted a shift in Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's tone and threats, and observed frequent meetings between Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. Further reports from The New York Times and The Atlantic detailed a secret landing by Kamel in Israel 11 days before the attack, where he warned of a major Hamas offensive and urged economic concessions from Israel to prevent escalation. Egypt reportedly continued to issue warnings up to two days before the massacre.