Israeli Security Officials Deny Knowledge of Egyptian Spy Chief's Pre-Oct. 7 Visit
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
Senior Israeli security officials deny any knowledge of a visit by Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel prior to the October 7th attacks. A security source expressed doubt about the visit, challenging Prime Minister Netanyahu to reveal any meetings if he was aware. Kan News reported that a September 26th flight carried businessmen, not the intelligence chief, and returned empty, contradicting earlier reports of Kamel's visit.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israeli security officials deny knowledge of Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel's visit before October 7th.
- A senior security source expressed strong doubt about whether Kamel visited Israel at all.
- The source challenged Prime Minister Netanyahu to identify who Kamel met if he was indeed in Israel.
- Kan News reported a September 26th flight carried businessmen, not the intelligence chief.
- The Kan News report stated the flight departed Israel empty.
- The denial contradicts earlier reports that Netanyahu confirmed Kamel's visit.
Senior Israeli security officials who served before the October 7th Hamas attacks stated they have no record or knowledge of a visit to Israel by Egypt's head of intelligence, Abbas Kamel. A senior security source indicated that if such a visit had occurred, the security establishment would have been aware of it in real-time. "We conducted all post-event checks, and we do not recognize the event. It is highly doubtful that Abbas Kamel was even in the country," the source added. The source also challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating, "If Netanyahu knows he was here, he should say who he met with."
Earlier reports, including one by i24NEWS, had indicated that Netanyahu confirmed the Egyptian intelligence chief landed in Israel days before October 7th. However, an investigation by Kan News suggested that a flight from Egypt to Israel on September 26, 2023, carried two businessmen, not the head of Egyptian intelligence, and departed from Israel empty.
This discrepancy raises questions about the timeline and nature of any potential high-level contacts between Israel and Egypt in the lead-up to the Hamas attacks.
