Egyptian Intelligence Chief Warned Netanyahu of Imminent Gaza Attack

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 the third such warning from Egypt, following two previous alerts that Israel reportedly did not heed. The first warning came in June 2023, when Egypt cautioned about the unstable situation in Gaza and urged Israel to resume negotiations with Hamas. In September, Kamel visited Israel and delivered a more serious warning to Israeli officials, stating the situation in Gaza was tense and could "explode in everyone's face." Israeli officials, however, reportedly told the Egyptian side at the time that the situation was under control.

Egyptian warnings continued up to 48 hours before the October 7th attack, though they did not include specific details about the timing or scale of the assault. The report also indicated that Netanyahu received intelligence about potential attack indicators during a September 2023 conversation with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, but sources claimed Netanyahu "did not seem convinced." Arab intelligence agencies reportedly monitored a shift in the rhetoric and threats of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, alongside frequent meetings between Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza.

Netanyahu's office did not respond to the newspaper's questions regarding the call with Kamel. Previously, Netanyahu's office had denied any contact between the prime minister and Kamel in the months leading up to the October 7th attack. 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.