Netanyahu denies report that Egypt warned Israel before the October 7 attack

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied the report on Saturday, describing the claim as false and asserting that it had been refuted at the time and was now being “recycled to manipulate Israeli public opinion.”

The Atlantic magazine, citing Israeli and Egyptian government officials, as well as officials from other Arab countries and from the United States and Europe, reported that Abbas Kamel, then-head of Egyptian intelligence, traveled to Israel less than two weeks before the attack and warned that Hamas appeared to be “mobilizing for a major offensive.”

Kamel played a key role in Egyptian and Qatari mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas during the Gaza war, and he had visited Israel several times in recent years.

The report did not specify whom Kamel met during his visit, which lasted approximately one hour. However, the magazine quoted a former Israeli government official as saying it was unreasonable to assume that Netanyahu was unaware of the visit or of the meetings held with Israeli intelligence officials.

Two days after the October 7 attack, Netanyahu’s office denied that Egypt had issued such a warning, stating that no direct or indirect meeting had taken place between Netanyahu and Kamel.