Egypt warned Israel of Hamas threat weeks before October 7 attack

Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel visited Israel in late September to convey concerns about deteriorating security conditions in Gaza and the risk of Hamas escalation, according to reports. During the September 26 meeting, Kamel warned Israeli officials that the situation was volatile and recommended economic measures to ease Palestinian grievances and reduce the likelihood of conflict.

The Egyptian intelligence chief specifically signaled that Gaza was "on the verge of exploding" without intervention, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. He advocated for Israeli concessions that could help stabilize the region and prevent Hamas from launching major offensive operations.

Despite receiving this advance warning, Israeli officials did not reportedly implement comprehensive preventive measures in response to the alert. Security analysts and regional observers noted that Kamel's visit represented one of multiple warnings from Egypt and other nations in the weeks leading up to October 7, when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel.

The disclosure of the Egyptian warning has raised questions about how intelligence assessments were evaluated by Israeli security establishments and what actions were deemed necessary at the time. Egypt, which maintains significant influence in Palestinian affairs through its control of the Rafah border crossing, has historically served as a mediator in Israeli-Palestinian tensions.