Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that former Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel visited Israel before October 7, 2023, but firmly denied holding any personal meeting with him during that visit. Netanyahu stated in an interview with Israeli Channel 14 on Tuesday evening that he was attending a memorial ceremony for soldiers when the Egyptian plane landed in Israel, and that he did not know who Kamel met, adding that he wanted to find out.
He added: "He did not meet with me, because I was at a memorial ceremony for Israeli army soldiers, so that was a lie from the outset," referring to reports that mentioned an Egyptian warning to him that the situation in the Gaza Strip was on the verge of exploding. Netanyahu claimed that "the mere assertion that a foreign intelligence chief met with a prime minister contradicts accepted procedures."
Contradictions in the narrative
Netanyahu said: "Since when does an intelligence chief come and speak with the head of state? This has never happened even once, there is nothing like that." He added that the main question for him is: "Who are the Israeli officials who held meetings with him during his visit?" He continued: "There is another question I ask, I am the Prime Minister of Israel, there was an Egyptian intelligence minister here, I want to know who he met? I don't know."
However, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority stated that Netanyahu's comments contradict previous facts, noting that he had previously met with heads of foreign intelligence agencies, including Kamel himself. It pointed out that the Prime Minister's Office announced in May 2021 a meeting between Netanyahu and Kamel, who was then serving as the head of Egyptian General Intelligence.
Visit details and warnings
In late September last year, the American magazine "The Atlantic" reported that Kamel visited Israel 11 days before the October 7, 2023 attack, conveying a warning that the "Hamas" movement was preparing to launch a major attack. According to the magazine, which relied on Israeli, Egyptian, Arab, American, and European officials who were privy to the details of the visit, Kamel advised Israel to make economic concessions to "Hamas" to avoid confrontation.
It quoted a former Israeli official as saying that Kamel warned that if Israel did not change its course, "Gaza will explode in your faces." According to the report, Kamel arrived in Israel on September 26, 2023, and an Egyptian intelligence plane landed in a secluded area at Ben Gurion Airport, remaining on the ground for 67 minutes before returning to Cairo. The magazine stated that it remained unclear who Kamel met during the short visit.
Context of the attack and criticisms
On October 7, 2023, "Hamas" and Palestinian factions launched a surprise attack on Israeli military sites and settlements along the Gaza Strip, in an operation they named "Al-Aqsa Flood." The movement stated that the operation came in response to Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people and its sanctuaries, particularly the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Netanyahu refuses to bear personal responsibility for the failure to anticipate and counter the Palestinian attack.
The October 7 attack exposed Israeli security and intelligence failures, amid rising internal criticism regarding the responsibility of the political and military leadership for failing to anticipate and counter the attack. Since that day, Israel has been committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, during which it killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed the infrastructure.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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