Abbas Kamel's secret flight to Israel, 11 days before the massacre

Already warned by the United Arab Emirates, Israel reportedly received a second alert about an imminent Hamas attack before October 7, 2023, this time from Egyptian intelligence, according to a new investigation by The Atlantic.

The report adds to earlier Haaretz revelations that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed had personally warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about ten days before the attack that Hamas was preparing a major operation. Netanyahu denies receiving either warning.

67 minutes at Ben Gurion

According to The Atlantic, Egypt's intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, secretly flew to Israel on September 26, 2023 , the same day Israeli leaders marked the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, landing aboard a chartered Cessna that stayed just 67 minutes at Ben Gurion Airport. 

Citing Israeli, Egyptian, Arab, US and European officials, the magazine reports that Cairo believed Hamas "appeared to be preparing for a major attack." Kamel gave no date or operational details, but urged Israel to make swift economic concessions to Gaza to avoid escalation, warning that otherwise the situation risked "blowing up" in Israel's face.

It remains unclear which officials Kamel met or how far his warning traveled up the chain, though Netanyahu reportedly held a classified meeting shortly after and approved some economic concessions to Gaza. "The messenger was the message," one former Israeli official said. Netanyahu's then national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, denies any such visit or warning took place.

More warnings followed

Egypt reportedly issued another alert on October 5, two days before the attack, while Jordan's intelligence chief also voiced concerns to Israeli counterparts. US intelligence produced two reports around the same time flagging a risk of Hamas escalation, but anticipated rocket fire, not the coordinated assault that followed.