'Gaza on verge of exploding': Egypt spy chief warned Israel of Hamas escalation before Oct 7

File photo: Memorial dedicated to the victims of the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas from Gaza Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel travelled to Israel days before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and warned Israeli officials that Gaza was heading towards a dangerous escalation, according to a report by The Atlantic.Kamel arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on September 26, 2023, in a chartered plane linked to Egypt’s intelligence service, according to the report. His visit came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders were marking the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, the surprise attack by Egypt and Syria that Israel has long treated as a lesson in intelligence failures.According to Israeli, Egyptian, Arab, US and European officials who were briefed on the visit after October 7, Kamel told Israeli officials that Hamas appeared to be preparing for a major attack. He urged Israel to make economic concessions to Hamas to prevent the situation from spiralling.One former Israeli official later briefed on the meeting told The Atlantic that Kamel’s message was essentially that Gaza was on the verge of exploding if Israel did not change course. However,...