Egyptian Intelligence Chief Warned Israel of Hamas Attack Before October 7
An investigation by The Atlantic reveals that Egypt's intelligence chief warned Israel of a planned Hamas attack days before October 7, 2023, during a secret visit.
Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel made a secret visit to Israel in late September 2023, warning the leadership that Hamas was planning an imminent attack, according to an investigative report published in The Atlantic.
Secret Visit and Warning
According to the report, Kamel's aircraft landed at Ben Gurion Airport on September 26, 2023. The clandestine visit took place mere hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. Kamel spent only 67 minutes in Israel, delivering a clear message that economic concessions should be granted to Hamas to prevent escalation.
A former Israeli official briefed on the meeting testified that the Egyptian message was unequivocal. Kamel warned his Israeli counterparts that if the approach did not change, Gaza would blow up in their faces.
"If the approach does not change, Gaza will blow up in your faces," Kamel reportedly warned Israeli officials during his brief 67-minute visit.
Intelligence Failures and Reactions
Another Israeli source explained that the mere arrival of the Egyptian intelligence chief should have triggered warning lights in the political and security echelons. Around the same time, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed spoke with Netanyahu by phone, warning him of a potential imminent attack by Yahya Sinwar based on intelligence from Palestinian and Egyptian sources.
Arab sources cited in the article noted that Netanyahu was unimpressed by the warning. At the time, Israel's attention was primarily directed toward security tensions in the West Bank, and the prevailing assumption in the security establishment was that Hamas was deterred and uninterested in a broad conflict.
