Israeli Official Denies Egyptian Warning Before Oct. 7, Amidst Intelligence Row

A political and security storm has erupted in Israel following revelations about an Egyptian intelligence plane landing in the country shortly before the outbreak of the war on October 7. The incident has reignited questions about intelligence received by Jerusalem prior to the Hamas attack and highlighted conflicting accounts from government officials regarding whether advance warnings were received from regional countries.

Boaz Bismuth, Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, strongly refuted claims that Egypt and the UAE had warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the impending attack. "The public knows it's a lie. As chairman, I am exposed to the materials," Bismuth stated in an interview, emphasizing that "there was no such warning."

Bismuth also addressed the leak of personal communications from Prime Minister Netanyahu's advisor, Yonatan Urich, vowing, "Whoever hacked and published personal correspondence, while altering the conversations, will pay the price. Let that be clear to you."

The controversy intensified after Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed in a televised interview that the Egyptian plane had indeed landed in Israel for a one-hour stay on the eve of the attack. However, Netanyahu denied meeting with the head of Egyptian Intelligence, Abbas Kamel, and questioned who the Egyptian official met with, stating that a prime minister does not typically meet alone with a foreign intelligence chief.

These statements triggered immediate reactions within the security and political establishments, questioning how such a sensitive visit occurred without the knowledge of senior political leadership. Political commentator Amit Segal further highlighted inconsistencies in Netanyahu's account, pointing out that Netanyahu himself hosted Kamel in 2021, with official video documentation of the meeting existing. Segal raised two key questions: how the Egyptian intelligence chief could visit Israel and meet a "mysterious figure" without the Prime Minister's knowledge, and how Netanyahu's claim that prime ministers don't meet alone with intelligence chiefs aligns with past documented meetings.

The ongoing disputes and public confrontations surrounding the incident underscore a deep rift and lack of trust concerning the events preceding the "Black Shabbat." While Bismuth and coalition ministers attempt to deflect claims of an intelligence failure with Arab neighbors, the contradictions in official narratives and revelations of past meetings continue to fuel public protest and demand for full transparency.