Netanyahu Reveals Egyptian Intelligence Chief Visited Israel Days Before Oct. 7 Attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Tuesday that Egypt's former intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, visited Israel just days before the October 7th Hamas attacks. In an interview with Channel 14, Netanyahu claimed he did not meet with Kamel during that visit because he was attending a memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers from the Yom Kippur War. Netanyahu expressed uncertainty about whom the Egyptian official met with during his visit, stating, "I want to know who he met." He also questioned the nature of such meetings, noting that intelligence chiefs do not typically speak directly with heads of state, though he did host Kamel in Jerusalem in 2021.

This revelation follows a report by The Atlantic approximately three weeks prior, which stated Kamel made a brief visit to Israel 11 days before the October 7th massacre. The Atlantic reported that Kamel warned of a significant Hamas attack, allegedly saying, "If you don't change course, Gaza will explode in your faces." Following that report, the Prime Minister's Office denied that Netanyahu met with Kamel but did not deny Kamel's arrival in Israel.