Report: Days before Oct. 7, Egyptian intelligence chief landed in Israel and warned that 'the window of opportunity to prevent a disaster is closing'

An investigation by The Atlantic magazine reveals that Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel landed in Israel on September 26, 2023, 11 days before the Hamas attack, and delivered a direct and detailed warning about Hamas's preparations for a major attack. On the same day, an event marking the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War was held in Jerusalem, where Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke about the danger of underestimating the enemy.

A comprehensive investigation by The Atlantic magazine, published on Friday, reveals that Egypt's then-director of general intelligence, Abbas Kamel, landed in Israel on September 26, 2023, just 11 days before the Hamas attack on October 7. Kamel arrived on an urgent and sensitive mission: to deliver a direct and detailed warning about Hamas's organizational movements and mobilization for a major attack from Gaza. The message he conveyed, according to the report, was direct and detailed: 'The window of opportunity to prevent a disaster is closing.' The investigation is based on Israeli, Egyptian, Arab, American, and European sources who were briefed on the visit after the disaster. The historical irony is striking: on the same day Kamel landed, state leaders gathered in Jerusalem to mark the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. About two hours after his landing, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium, described the 1973 surprise attack as a warning sign against underestimating the enemy and ignoring intelligence signs, and declared: 'We do not underestimate any threat.'

Report: Days before Oct. 7, Egyptian intelligence chief landed in Israel and warned that 'the window of opportunity to prevent a disaster is closing'