Full Breakdown
Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel’s September 26 Visit and the October 7 Attack
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On September 26 2023 a chartered aircraft linked to Egyptian intelligence landed at Ben Gurion Airport for roughly one hour before returning to Cairo. An investigation by The Atlantic identified the passenger as Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, who used the stop to warn Israeli officials that Hamas was preparing a major attack and urged economic measures in Gaza. The flight’s ground time was reported as 59 minutes by Kan News and 67 minutes by The Atlantic. Kamel’s visit occurred less than two weeks before the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later confirmed Kamel had been in Israel but said he did not meet the prime minister personally and did not know whom Kamel met.
Background & Context
Egypt and Israel maintain a security dialogue, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s intelligence chief has met Israeli officials before, including a 2021 visit to the prime minister’s residence. The September 26 warning came amid heightened Israeli vigilance following the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 26 2023 – Aircraft linked to Egyptian intelligence lands at Ben Gurion, stays ~59-67 minutes, then departs for Cairo. | |
| October 7 2023 – Hamas launches the large-scale attack on Israel. | |
| Early October 2023 – The Wall Street Journal reports a phone call from Kamel to Netanyahu warning of an impending Gaza attack. | |
| Recent interview – Netanyahu says he has no idea who Kamel met with and likens Israel’s post-Oct 7 intelligence situation to Pearl Harbor and 9/11. | |
| Subsequent days – Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana calls for an investigation into the meeting’s identity. |
Official Statements & Responses
Criticism & Opposition
Security officials highlighted the lack of any record of Kamel’s presence, questioning the plausibility of a secret meeting. They argued that a high-level warning should have been documented and acted upon by the security establishment and demanded transparency about who, if anyone, met Kamel during the stop.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Kan News reported that the September 26 flight carried two businessmen, not Kamel, and that the aircraft was a charter jet not registered as an official or security flight.
- The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal assert that Kamel himself was on the flight and delivered a warning.
- No Israeli agency has publicly confirmed the identity of any official who met Kamel, and the Prime Minister’s Office has not disclosed whether airport security footage has been reviewed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Before October 7, we had an army with a state. Now we have a state with an army,” — Benjamin Netanyahu
- “He met someone here. The question is whom,” — Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana