Egyptian intelligence chief visited Israel days before Oct. 7, warning of Hamas attack

Egyptian General Intelligence Service chief Abbas Kamel flew to Israel on Sept. 26, 2023, just 11 days before Hamas launched its Oct. 7 offensive. Flight logs and independent tracking data show a chartered Cessna landing at Ben-Gurion Airport for about 67 minutes before returning to Cairo. During the visit, Kamel reportedly told Israeli officials that Hamas was gearing up for a significant attack and urged economic measures to ease tensions in Gaza. A former Israeli official later described the message as a warning that “if you don’t change course, Gaza is going to explode in your face.”

The briefing did not include a specific date, target, or operational details, and the identity of Kamel’s Israeli contacts remains undisclosed. Officials from several countries said the personal presence of Egypt’s top intelligence officer should have drawn the attention of Israel’s senior leadership, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Egyptian sources indicated President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi sent Kamel to deliver the message directly.

After the Oct. 7 attacks, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office denied that Egypt had warned Israel beforehand, and both Netanyahu’s and Sisi’s offices declined to comment on the newly revealed visit. Tzachi Hanegbi, then head of Israel’s National Security Council, told The Atlantic that Kamel had not visited Israel and no warning was given. Nonetheless, Egyptian officials say another warning was transmitted on Oct. 5, reiterating urgency without specifying a timeline or method.

The timing of Kamel’s flight coincided with Netanyahu’s participation in a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, after which he attended a classified briefing.