Israeli Investigation Disputes Report of Egyptian Intel Chief Warning Netanyahu Before Oct. 7

An investigation by Israel's Channel 12 has cast doubt on a prominent claim that Egypt's intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, secretly visited Israel shortly before the October 7 Hamas attack to deliver a warning to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The report challenges information published by The Atlantic, which alleged that Kamel arrived on a private jet on September 26, 2023, and met with Netanyahu.

However, Channel 12's document verification revealed that the Egyptian business jet that landed in Israel on that date carried two Egyptian businessmen, not Kamel. Both individuals entered Israel through the standard airport terminal, presenting their documents for border control. The aircraft later returned to Egypt without passengers. Channel 12 stated that the identities of these businessmen are known and recorded in Israeli government databases, accessible to the Ministry of Transportation and the Border Police.

The findings directly contradict The Atlantic's assertion that Kamel was aboard the flight and that he personally conveyed a warning about an impending large-scale attack to Israeli leadership. The Atlantic's earlier report, citing sources from multiple countries, suggested the jet was in Israel for only 67 minutes before returning to Cairo. This claim was a key piece of evidence supporting the narrative that Netanyahu received a direct warning less than two weeks before the Hamas assault.

Both Prime Minister Netanyahu and representatives of Israeli intelligence agencies have previously denied that Kamel visited Israel or delivered any such warning on that date. Former security officials have also stated they did not meet with the Egyptian intelligence chief on September 26, 2023.