Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that Egypt’s former intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, visited Israel shortly before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, according to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper.
Speaking in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, Netanyahu confirmed that Kamel had spent 59 minutes in the country. However, he said he did not know which Israeli official had met with the Egyptian intelligence chief and called for the person’s identity to be established.
Netanyahu denied meeting or speaking with Kamel, explaining that he had attended a memorial ceremony for Israeli soldiers at the time. He had previously rejected reports that Egypt warned Israel about an impending Hamas assault, describing the claims as false.
A report published by The Atlantic in late September stated that Kamel visited Israel on September 26, 2023, 11 days before the attack. Citing officials from Israel, Egypt, Arab countries, the United States and Europe, the magazine reported that Kamel had warned of a major Hamas operation and urged Israel to offer economic concessions to prevent an escalation.
The report did not establish which Israeli official met with Kamel during his visit.
Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Kamel had contacted Netanyahu by telephone days before the attack, following two earlier warnings from Egypt that allegedly went unheeded.
The New York Times also reported in September that United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had warned Netanyahu about the possibility of a major Hamas assault. According to the report, Netanyahu did not pass the warning on to his senior security officials.
The latest revelations have renewed questions about what Israeli leaders knew before the October 7 attack and whether warnings from regional partners were adequately addressed.
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