Egyptian intelligence chief visited Israel days before Oct. 7 to issue security warning - report
The Atlantic reveals Abbas Kamel visited Israel on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, 11 days before October 7, and warned Hamas was preparing a major attack.
Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel secretly visited Israel just 11 days prior to the October 7 attack, delivering a warning that Hamas was preparing for a significant assault, according to an investigation by The Atlantic. On September 26, 2023, Kamel, who headed Egypt's General Intelligence Service at the time, arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel aboard a chartered Cessna aircraft linked to Egyptian intelligence services.
The visit lasted only 67 minutes before returning to Cairo. Israeli officials briefed after the attack claimed Kamel had warned that Hamas was preparing for a major attack and urged Israel to take economic measures to reduce tensions in Gaza. However, Kamel did not provide a specific attack plan, date, or details about the threat.
Despite the warning, most previous alerts focused on potential escalation or renewed violence in Gaza rather than the coordinated assault carried out by Hamas on October 7. The visit, however, raised concerns among officials from seven countries, who argued that the personal visit from the head of Egyptian intelligence should have alerted Israel's political and security leadership.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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