Netanyahu Acknowledges Egyptian Spy Chief's Pre-Oct 7 Visit

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on October 13 that Abbas Kamel, the head of Egyptian intelligence and a close associate of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, visited Israel approximately ten days before the October 7 attacks. Netanyahu stated he did not meet with Kamel, as he was attending a memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). This acknowledgment follows earlier media reports suggesting Kamel had delivered a warning about a significant Hamas attack. Ynet's Arab affairs commentator Smadar Peri had reported that Kamel conveyed a warning to Netanyahu's office about an "unusual, formidable operation" being prepared by Gaza, a claim initially denied by the Prime Minister's office.

Netanyahu, speaking on Channel 14, expressed uncertainty about who Kamel met with during his brief, unannounced visit on September 26, 2023. He stated, "The Egyptian intelligence minister was here. He spent 59 minutes. I am addressing the security and law enforcement agencies, I want to know who he met with. Someone who met with him is trying to pin this on me." The Prime Minister also noted that while he had met Kamel in 2021, such meetings with the intelligence chief were not typical for him.

Reports from The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal indicated that Kamel's visit was urgent, with The Atlantic specifying he warned of a major Hamas attack and urged Israel to ease economic restrictions on Gaza to prevent escalation. The Atlantic reported that a private Cessna linked to Egyptian intelligence landed at Ben Gurion Airport for just 67 minutes before returning to Cairo. An Israeli source told The Atlantic that Kamel's short visit itself signaled the urgency, with "the envoy being the message." The Wall Street Journal added that Kamel had called Netanyahu in early October to warn of an impending attack from Gaza after previous warnings were not heeded.

Netanyahu attended a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War in Jerusalem shortly after Kamel's plane landed, stating at the time, "As the main lesson from that war, we do not neglect any threat." Smadar Peri also wrote that Kamel had become concerned, implying that the Egyptian intelligence chief felt his warnings were not being adequately addressed.