Biden's Envoy Says No Intelligence Warning for Oct. 7 Attacks

McGurk explained that a retrospective review of all available intelligence conducted by the U.S. administration after the assault found no advance indications of the impending massacre. He added that senior Israeli officials had also indicated to the U.S. that they had no prior warning. These statements contradict recent reports, such as those by The Wall Street Journal and Haaretz, claiming that regional leaders like the former Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed had warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Prime Minister's Office, along with official sources in Egypt and the UAE, have strongly denied those claims.

Drawing a parallel to the American response after the September 11 attacks, McGurk suggested that Israel establish an investigative committee to reform its intelligence practices. He noted that the U.S. implemented significant reforms in how intelligence is briefed, presented, and classified following 9/11, a process he believes Israel has not yet undertaken. The interview coincided with the release of McGurk's book, "Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7th Hostages."