What did Netanyahu know before the events of October 7? Warning and reaction line

What did Netanyahu know before the events of October 7? Warning and reaction line

Former Israeli intelligence officers described it as a “strategic deception” that preceded the October 7 attack.

Retired Israeli Major General Oren Shlomo said, in an interview with journalist Shimon Rikli, that an internal report prepared by an officer in the Israeli Military Intelligence Division after the events of October 7 indicated the existence of relations between Egyptian intelligence and Hamas that Israel did not discover in a timely manner.

Accusations of an Egyptian role that goes beyond mediation

According to the Israeli channel, Shlomo confirmed that the Egyptian General Intelligence Service not only transmitted messages between Israel and Hamas, but also cooperated with the movement on specific issues, considering that these relations should have raised the suspicions of the Israeli security services.

He added that the internal report, prepared by an officer with the rank of major referred to as "J", addressed the nature of relations between the Israeli and Egyptian intelligence services, and the links that Cairo had established with Hamas before October 7, which Shlomo considered a possible part of the "picture of deception" that preceded the attack.

“Hamas deceived Israel for years”

According to Shlomo's account, in the years leading up to October 7, Hamas carried out a strategic deception campaign aimed at establishing the impression that it was seeking calm rather than waging a full-scale war.

He said that this perception leaked to the Israeli army, the Shin Bet, and the Military Intelligence Division, while communications with Hamas continued through Egyptian intermediaries.

Shlomo considered that continued reliance on the Egyptian channel in efforts to calm the situation with the Gaza Strip contributed to strengthening this perception, at a time when Hamas, according to his account, was preparing to carry out its attack.

Meetings at the highest security levels

The former Israeli officer indicated that contacts with the Egyptian side were taking place at high levels within the Israeli security system, citing meetings in which prominent officials participated, including former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, former Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy, and former head of the Military Intelligence Division, Aharon Halifa.

He said that the meeting of the head of Egyptian General Intelligence is not usually with a junior officer, but rather with senior officials in the security establishment.

Criticism of Israeli investigations after October 7

Shlomo criticized the investigations conducted after the October 7 attack, claiming that they did not examine in-depth the nature of the relationship between Egyptian intelligence and Hamas.

He wondered about the reasons for not studying this path, if Israel had actually fallen into a trap or been subjected to a deception, considering that the Israeli military investigations had not adequately addressed this point.

Accusations in Israel and Egyptian reservations

Shlomo's statements come amid voices within Israeli security and political circles seeking to hold external parties, including the intelligence services of neighboring countries, partly responsible for the failures that preceded October 7.

On the other hand, Egypt constantly emphasizes that its role is based on mediation and calm, and that its national security is linked to the stability of the region. It also participates in international and regional efforts to prevent escalation and weapons smuggling across its borders.

The allegations contained in the Israeli report remain controversial, especially in light of the channel’s failure to provide details or independent public evidence proving that Egyptian intelligence participated in “strategic deception” on behalf of Hamas before October 7.