Egypt warned about a Hamas attack, according to a Republican.
OAN’s James Meyers
8:40 AM – Thursday, October 12, 2023
Egypt issued a warning to Israeli intelligence officials about a potential terrorist attack three days before Hamas carried out an assault that resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,300 people, according to the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“We know the Egyptian intelligence service handed this off days before the terrorist invasion, if you will, or attack,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told CNN following a closed-door intelligence briefing. “So, there’s a lot of questions about that.”
McCaul also reportedly added that the attack could have been planned as far back as a year ago. “We’re not quite sure how we missed it. We’re not quite sure how Israel missed it.”
The comments by the Texas Republican came two days after an Egyptian intelligence official told the Associated Press that Israel “underestimated” warnings from Cairo that “an explosion of the situation is coming, and very soon, and it would be big.”
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied the report and said it was “totally fake news.”
“No message in advance has arrived from Egypt and the Prime Minister has neither spoken, nor met, with the head of Egyptian intelligence since the formation of the government, neither directly nor indirectly.”
Additionally, McCaul said Wednesday that it was unclear at what level the intelligence was shared.
“I’m sure there are a lot of threat streams coming in to Israeli intelligence, particularly out of Gaza and the West Bank,” he told CNN host Wolf Blitzer. ”But, you know, the thing is, Wolf, they — we know Hamas have been planning this attack for quite some time, perhaps even up to a year ago. And the idea that it was not caught raises some concerns, also when it comes to groups like Hezbollah and Iran as well. We need to make sure we don’t make that mistake.”
“For Israel, this is like their 9/11,” McCaul added. “I mean, it really is. It’s very reminiscent of what we went through in the United States when we did have a failure of intelligence.”
The Jewish state was caught off guard by Saturday’s surprise terrorist attack, when over 1,500 Hamas terrorists breached the Gaza border fence in a number of different locations, killing over 1,200 Israeli civilians, leaving 3,000 wounded and over 100 taken hostage. It took Israel’s military several hours to respond to the killings.
“This is a major failure,” admitted Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser to Netanyahu. “This operation actually proves that the (Israeli intelligence) abilities in Gaza were no good.”
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What steps are being taken by the United States to support Israel and address the intelligence failure
Egypt Warned Israel About Potential Terrorist Attack Days Before Hamas Assault
In a surprising turn of events, it has been revealed that Egypt issued a warning to Israeli intelligence officials about a potential terrorist attack three days before Hamas carried out a devastating assault that resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,300 people. This information was shared by the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas).
According to McCaul, the Egyptian intelligence service passed on this warning several days prior to the terrorist invasion. He expressed concerns about the situation and raised questions about why the attack was not prevented. Additionally, McCaul suggested that the planning for this attack could have taken place as far back as a year ago, leaving both the United States and Israel wondering how such crucial information was missed.
These comments by the Texas Republican came shortly after an Egyptian intelligence official told the Associated Press that Israel had “underestimated” warnings from Cairo. The official emphasized that an explosion of the situation was imminent and would have significant ramifications. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office promptly denied this report, calling it “totally fake news.” Netanyahu’s office asserted that no advance message had been received from Egypt and that there had been no communication between the Prime Minister and the head of Egyptian intelligence.
McCaul further commented that it remains unclear at what level the intelligence was shared. He acknowledged the numerous threat streams that Israeli intelligence constantly receives, particularly from Gaza and the West Bank. McCaul expressed concerns not only about Hamas but also about groups like Hezbollah and Iran. He stressed the need to learn from this situation and avoid making the same intelligence failure.
Drawing parallels to the United States’ experience with the 9/11 attacks, McCaul described this assault as Israel’s equivalent. He highlighted the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for thorough analysis and improvement in intelligence operations.
The surprise terrorist attack occurred on Saturday when over 1,500 Hamas terrorists breached the Gaza border fence at multiple locations, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,200 Israeli civilians, while over 3,000 were wounded and over 100 were taken hostage. Israel’s military took several hours to respond to the attack, indicating a major failure in their intelligence abilities in Gaza.
In the midst of these developments, President Joe Biden has pledged his support to Israel. However, there are reports suggesting that he privately urged Netanyahu to minimize civilian casualties during the retaliatory air strikes in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Thursday, while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is scheduled to arrive on Friday.
The revelations about the warning from Egypt and the subsequent devastating attack by Hamas have left many questions unanswered. As this situation unfolds, it is imperative for intelligence agencies to thoroughly assess their processes and capabilities to ensure the safety and security of the nations involved.
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