Baku:Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has admitted that Egypt's then-intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, visited Israel shortly before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. This acknowledgment comes after Netanyahu had previously dismissed reports suggesting Cairo had warned him of an impending assault.

According to Anadolu Agency, in an interview with Israel's Channel 14, Netanyahu confirmed Kamel's presence in Israel for 59 minutes but stated he was unaware of which Israeli official had met with him. Netanyahu expressed his desire to know who Kamel met, referencing the 'deep state' and denied having any meeting or communication with Kamel, citing his attendance at a memorial ceremony for Israeli soldiers at the time.

Reports from The Atlantic indicated that Kamel traveled to Israel on September 26, 2023, to warn of a significant Hamas assault and suggested that Israel offer economic concessions to Hamas to prevent conflict. The identity of the Israeli official Kamel met remained unspecified.

Furthermore, The Wall Street Journal reported that Kamel had contacted Netanyahu days before the attack, following two previous Egyptian warnings that were not heeded. Additionally, The New York Times noted that United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had also warned Netanyahu of a potential major Hamas attack, which Netanyahu did not communicate to his security chiefs.