Reports allege Egypt, UAE warned Netanyahu before Oct. 7; he denies it

The Atlantic magazine reported that Egypt's intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, made an unusual visit to Israel on September 26, 2023, warning of a major Hamas attack, among what it described as repeated warnings Israel received in the weeks before October 7.2318

Separate reports, including by the New York Times and Israeli media cited by Le Monde and El País, say the United Arab Emirates also warned of a possible Hamas operation, and that Netanyahu did not relay this to his security chiefs.101719

Netanyahu's office has denied the Egypt report, saying he never met or spoke with Kamel in the months before the attack, and Likud says Netanyahu has sued media outlets over the warning reports, calling them fabrications.911

Netanyahu travelled to meet Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed after the warning reports emerged; French and Spanish outlets reported this was to ask bin Zayed to deny having warned him, while the New York Times reported only that bilateral relations were discussed.101712

The warnings controversy has emerged as Israel approaches a national election, with opposition figures using the reports to question Netanyahu's handling of pre-attack intelligence.514

The dispute touches on broader questions about Israel's intelligence failures connected to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, one of the country's most significant security crises.2