Egypt Warned Netanyahu of Gaza Attack Days Before Oct. 7

Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel directly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of an impending attack from Gaza in early October 2023, according to Egyptian officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. This warning followed two prior Egyptian alerts about potential escalation from Gaza that Israel reportedly did not heed. The Prime Minister's office and the Egyptian Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report.

This revelation aligns with a report from The Atlantic, which stated that Kamel arrived in Israel on a private jet on September 26, 2023, eleven days before the October 7th Hamas attack. During this visit, Kamel conveyed a warning about Hamas's preparations for a major offensive. The Egyptian official reportedly did not specify an attack date but emphasized the possibility of preventing it, advising Israel to offer economic concessions to Hamas to de-escalate tensions. He cautioned that the current policy could lead to Gaza "exploding in your face."

Earlier reports from Israel Hayom had mentioned the landing of an Egyptian plane in Israel without identifying the passenger. Following these warnings, Netanyahu reportedly participated in security discussions and approved some economic measures for Gaza. An Israeli official told The Atlantic that Kamel's visit itself signaled urgency, stating that Netanyahu would have been aware of the meeting.

Separately, The New York Times reported that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed also warned Netanyahu of a potential Hamas attack before October 7th. While Netanyahu had previously denied reports of a conversation with bin Zayed, The New York Times cited minutes from an early October 2023 security meeting where Netanyahu informed officials that an Israeli military operation in Gaza could jeopardize potential diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. At the time, Netanyahu believed a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia was imminent, which was discussed as a factor in the Gaza situation.