Netanyahu Confirms Egyptian Intelligence Chief Visited Israel Before Oct. 7

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Tuesday that Egypt's head of intelligence, Abbas Kamel, visited Israel before the October 7th Hamas attack. However, Netanyahu stated he was not present during the visit and is unaware of whom Kamel met with, according to an interview with Channel 14. The Atlantic reported that Kamel landed in Israel 11 days prior to the attack, warning that Hamas was preparing for a major offensive. This report was based on Israeli, Egyptian, Arab, American, and European sources briefed on the visit after the massacre.

According to The Atlantic, it remains unknown whom Kamel met during his stay, and he did not provide Israeli officials with a specific time or concrete details about the surprise attack. Nevertheless, sources indicated he warned that the window to prevent disaster was closing and recommended Israel offer Hamas economic concessions to avoid conflict. He allegedly cautioned that if Israel did not change its policy, "Gaza will explode in your face."

While "Yisrael Hayom" reported on the landing of a plane at the time, the identity of the passenger was unknown. Sources speaking to The Atlantic suggested that the Egyptian intelligence chief's arrival should have underscored the urgency of addressing the issue. A former senior Israeli official commented that the envoy "was the message" and that it was inconceivable for senior Israeli officials to meet with the Egyptian intelligence chief without Netanyahu's awareness.

Two days after the massacre, "Yedioth Ahronoth" reported that Kamel had warned Netanyahu's office about "something unusual, a fearsome operation" originating from the Gaza Strip. An Egyptian intelligence source told reporter Smadar Peri that Kamel was "amazed by the indifference" in Israel, where officials explained that the security system was preoccupied with the West Bank and that the situation in Gaza was "under control."

Netanyahu's office initially denied the report, later calling it "fake news." The Wall Street Journal, citing official Egyptian sources, reported that the Egyptian intelligence chief had called Netanyahu in early October 2023 to warn him of an impending attack from Gaza. This call allegedly followed Israel's failure to respond to two prior Egyptian warnings about signs of an imminent attack from the Strip. Egyptian warnings reportedly began as early as June 2023, though they were initially more vague. Egyptian officials had warned their Israeli counterparts that the situation in Gaza was volatile and urged Israel to resume negotiations with Hamas.

Netanyahu's office denied that the prime minister received a warning from Kamel. On October 11, 2023, Egypt officially denied warning Israel about the October 7th attack, emphasizing that in the months preceding the attack, Prime Minister Netanyahu did not meet or speak with Abbas Kamel, then head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service, nor did any Israeli intelligence official convey such a warning to the prime minister.