Mystery Surrounds Egyptian Intelligence Chief's Pre-Oct. 7 Visit to Israel

Questions persist regarding a visit to Israel by former Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel shortly before the October 7th Hamas attacks. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu confirmed on Channel 14 that Kamel arrived in Israel on September 26, 2023, but denied meeting him. Netanyahu also questioned who met the Egyptian official during his stay, which occurred 11 days before the Hamas assault.

The aircraft, operated by the Egyptian charter company Smart Aviation, landed around 10 a.m. and departed for Cairo about an hour later, reportedly empty.

Former senior security officials also lack clarity on the visit. One senior security source told Ynet that the security establishment was unaware of the event and suggested that relevant parties should have known if such a visit had occurred. Tsachi Hanegbi, who was then head of the National Security Council, told "HaYom" that he was unaware of any meeting Kamel had at the airport. Netanyahu explained his absence from a meeting by stating he was attending a ceremony marking 50 years since the Yom Kippur War at Mount Herzl.

This incident adds to previous reports of Egyptian warnings conveyed to Israel before the Hamas attack, with some Egyptian media outlets reporting on the possibility of a significant assault from Gaza. The Prime Minister's office has previously denied receiving explicit warnings. Despite Netanyahu's confirmation of Kamel's arrival, key questions remain unanswered: whether a meeting took place, who attended, and its agenda.