Egyptian Intelligence Chief Warned Netanyahu of Imminent Attack Before Oct. 7, Report Claims

Former Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate chief Abbas Kamel contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early October 2023, warning him of an imminent attack from the Gaza Strip, according to a Wall Street Journal report. This was reportedly the third such warning from Egypt, following earlier alerts in June and September. In June, Egypt had warned of instability in Gaza and urged Israel to resume negotiations with Hamas. In September, Kamel visited Israel and delivered a more serious warning, stating the situation in Gaza was tense and could "explode in everyone's face." Israeli officials reportedly told the Egyptians at the time that the situation was under control.

The Egyptian side continued to relay warnings to Israel up to 48 hours before the October 7th attack, though these did not include specific details on the timing or scale of the assault. The report also stated that Netanyahu received indications of a potential attack during a September 2023 conversation with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, but sources indicated Netanyahu "did not seem convinced."

Arab intelligence agencies reportedly monitored a shift in the rhetoric and threats of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, along with frequent meetings between Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. However, Netanyahu's office vehemently denied the report's claims. A statement from the Prime Minister's office called the report a "false claim" being recirculated to mislead the Israeli public. The office asserted that Netanyahu had not met or spoken with Kamel in the months leading up to October 7th, nor had any Israeli intelligence official conveyed such a warning to the Prime Minister. Netanyahu also denied receiving a personal warning from the UAE President. Neither the Egyptian nor the UAE foreign ministries commented on the newspaper's inquiries.