The warning from Egyptian intelligence
According to The Atlantic, Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel warned Israel just under two weeks before October 7. The magazine, citing Israeli, Egyptian, American, Arab and European sources, reports that Kamel flew to Tel Aviv on September 26, 2023 to report that Hamas appeared to be preparing for a major attack. The head of Egyptian intelligence would also have suggested that the Israeli government grant Hamas some economic benefits to try to avoid a conflict. His message, according to a former Israeli official later briefed on the visit, was: "If you don't change course, Gaza will explode in your face."
Channel 13: “After warning Netanyahu ordered de-escalation in Gaza"
According to Channel 13, the day after the Egyptian warning, Netanyahu ordered Gaza to avoid measures that could lead to military escalation. The broadcaster cites the minutes of the cabinet meeting on September 27, in which "the prime minister determined that (Israel) must act to contain and minimize the escalation, using intelligence and a controlled use of force". Netanyahu also called for warnings against the launch of incendiary balloons from Gaza towards Israel to be "toughened" and for humanitarian measures to be increased. The Israeli broadcaster also cites an October 1 document that said the Jewish state was on the verge of reaching a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia and must therefore "maintain a measured level of security activity."
The report from the Emirates
The New York Times also reports another possible warning that came before the attack. According to the newspaper, United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed confidentially communicated to Netanyahu that Hamas was considering a large-scale operation, a circumstance that the Israeli newspaper Haaretz had already written about. The NYT quotes a person who claims to have spoken with the Emirati leader and another who would have been informed by someone present at the conversation. According to five former senior Israeli officials, however, this report would never have reached the top of the security apparatus. On October 1, 2023, Netanyahu gathered security leaders to discuss the situation in Gaza. According to the minutes seen by the New York Times, during the meeting the prime minister did not refer to the warning and indicated the objective of maintaining calm in the Strip. He also opposed a proposal by some officials to explore attacks against Hamas leaders, arguing that military action in Gaza could jeopardize the prospect of establishing diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu's denial
Netanyahu, as mentioned, has always rejected the reconstructions according to which he would have been informed in advance of a possible attack and his office today once again expressed its opinion on these new articles: "This statement is false. It had already been denied at the time and is now being proposed again to manipulate Israeli public opinion", reads the note from the Israeli prime minister's office. "On October 11, 2023, Egypt officially denied that it had warned Israel about the October 7 attack. In the months leading up to October 7, Prime Minister Netanyahu neither met nor spoke with Abbas Kamel, then head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service. No Israeli intelligence official conveyed such a warning to the prime minister. Repeated falsehoods do not become truths, no matter how many times they are repeated." The prime minister's party, Likud, also contested the new publications: "As the elections approach, we are witnessing a wave of false publications by left-wing journalists recruited with the aim of overthrowing the right and installing a left-wing government led by the Muslim Brotherhood."
