Overview
- On Tuesday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that an Egyptian intelligence-linked plane landed in Israel days before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack while saying he did not meet or speak with Egypt’s then-intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
- Investigative accounts have reported that the aircraft touched down at Ben‑Gurion on September 26, 2023 and stayed roughly an hour, and that Kamel warned Israeli officials that Hamas appeared to be preparing a major operation.
- A later Kan 11 report published Wednesday challenged a key detail by saying Abbas Kamel was not aboard the plane, leaving who met the visitors and what was said in dispute between media investigations and official statements.
- Netanyahu demanded an inquiry and pointed to airport cameras and footage as a way to settle who received the visit, while security leaders face renewed scrutiny for how warnings from regional actors were routed and handled.
- The revelations have prompted opposition calls for independent probes, sharpened pre-election political attacks, and revived questions from victims' families about accountability for intelligence failures before October 7.