Netanyahu Confirms Egyptian Intelligence Chief's Pre-Oct 7 Visit to Israel, Denies Meeting

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Tuesday that an Egyptian plane landed in Israel days before the October 7th Hamas attack, but denied meeting with the Egyptian intelligence chief during that visit. Speaking on Channel 14's "The Patriots" program, Netanyahu stated he did not know who the Egyptian intelligence chief met with, suggesting someone was trying to "pin it on me." He added that he himself did not meet the official because he was attending a memorial ceremony for fallen IDF soldiers. "When does an intelligence chief talk to a head of state? That doesn't happen. It never happened to me once," Netanyahu asserted. However, the Prime Minister's Office previously reported a meeting between Netanyahu and Abbas Kamel, then head of Egyptian intelligence, in May 2021. A report by The Atlantic magazine approximately two and a half weeks ago revealed that Kamel secretly visited Israel 11 days before the October 7th attack, warning that Hamas was preparing a significant assault and that time was running out to prevent escalation. The Atlantic's report did not confirm a meeting between Kamel and Netanyahu, noting it was unclear who Kamel met with. The report also stated that Netanyahu participated in a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War on that same day. Following October 7th, the Prime Minister's Office had denied that Netanyahu received any prior warning from Egypt, direct or indirect.