Egypt warned Netanyahu 3 times before October 7 attack - WSJ

The Wall Street Journal revealed Monday night that Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early October 2023 to warn him of an imminent attack from the Gaza Strip—after two earlier Egyptian warnings had received no response, according to senior officials in an Arab government who spoke to the paper.

The call from Kamel to Netanyahu, which has not been previously reported, was one of several early warnings that Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials received before the attack, according to the Arab officials and others involved in the matter who spoke to the Journal. Days later, Hamas launched its deadly assault on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages into Gaza.

According to the Arab officials, Netanyahu was also briefed on indications of a Hamas attack in a September 2023 call with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed, but appeared "unconvinced." The officials noted that the warnings did not include specific details about the timing or scope of the potential attack.

Netanyahu's office did not respond to questions from the Wall Street Journal regarding Kamel's call. The office has previously denied that any calls took place between the Israeli leader and Kamel in the months leading up to October 7. Egypt's foreign ministry and the UAE's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

The Arab officials said the first warning Egyptian officials passed to Israel in June 2023 was "vague." They warned their Israeli counterparts that the situation in Gaza was "explosive" and encouraged Israel to return to the negotiating table with Hamas.

In September, Kamel flew to Israel to deliver a more serious warning, they added. Kamel told the Israelis that the situation in Gaza was dire and "could blow up in everyone's face." But senior Israeli officials responded to Kamel that the situation was under their control.

Arab government officials emphasized that Kamel's call to Netanyahu's office took place just days before the massacre. "Kamel began to feel concerned," the report stated.

The report noted that alongside Cairo, UAE officials also expressed growing concern about Hamas. They discussed their intelligence assessments among themselves and shared them with the United States. According to the Arab officials, the tone of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and the nature of his threats had changed, and Arab intelligence services detected frequent meetings between Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.

The disclosure comes against the backdrop of earlier reports of a secret visit by Netanyahu to the United Arab Emirates last weekend, where he met with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. The visit took place amid political turmoil in Israel surrounding claims about warnings passed to Netanyahu before the events of October 7.