"Egypt Warned Israel Before Hamas Attack".. How Did Netanyahu's Office Respond to The Atlantic Report?

- The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on a news report stating that former head of the Egyptian intelligence service, Major General Abbas Kamel, warned Israel of the possibility that Hamas was preparing to launch attacks against it, days before the attacks occurred on October 7, 2023. The Israeli denial came in response to a report by the American magazine "The Atlantic," which claimed that Abbas Kamel visited Israel 11 days before the attack and carried a warning that Hamas was preparing for a major escalation in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu's office stated in a message via its official account on the platform "X" (formerly Twitter) on Saturday: "In response to the lies contained in The Atlantic magazine, the Prime Minister's Office announces the following:" The statement added that "this claim is baseless; it was previously denied at the time and is being circulated again now to manipulate Israeli public opinion," according to the statement. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said: "On October 11, 2023, Egypt officially denied that it had warned Israel about the October 7 attack."

He continued: "In the months leading up to that date, Prime Minister Netanyahu did not meet with Abbas Kamel - who was then serving as the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence - nor did he speak with him, and no Israeli intelligence official conveyed such a warning to the Prime Minister." Netanyahu's office concluded: "The lies that are being repeated will not become truth, no matter how often they are repeated."

An Israeli official stated in 2024 that former head of the Egyptian General Intelligence, Major General Abbas Kamel, visited Israel while in office to conduct security talks and advance negotiations regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The official told the Afaq News network that Major General Abbas Kamel is scheduled to continue discussions with Israeli officials regarding security coordination concerning a potential Israeli operation in Rafah, as well as negotiations regarding hostages.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a decision in 2024 appointing Major General Abbas Kamel as an advisor to the President, General Coordinator of Security Agencies, and Special Envoy of the President, according to what was reported by official Egyptian media. Meanwhile, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad took the legal oath as the head of the General Intelligence.

Abbas Kamel had accompanied Sisi during his time in military intelligence, where he served as his office manager after progressing through various positions, until Sisi assumed the position of Minister of Defense and then the presidency. Kamel was nicknamed "the president's secret keeper," "the president's shadow," and "the fox of the presidency" due to his close proximity to Sisi. Kamel also accompanied President Sisi on many domestic and international visits and conferences, due to his work and his strong intelligence expertise and vision in many of the files assigned to him.