Egypt spy chief flew to Israel 11 days before Oct. 7 with warning on Gaza, report says
Abbas Kamel reportedly made a rare one-hour visit to Israel on Sept. 26, 2023, warning that Hamas appeared to be preparing for a major escalation; his message lacked a date or attack plan, while Netanyahu’s office later denied receiving an Egyptian warning
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkxy4f49zg
Israel leans almost entirely on the United States for arms and cover, treats Iran and its proxies as existential, and trades quiet security ties with several Arab states.
Key Interests
Containing Iran and its proxies
Preserving United States military backing
Normalization with Gulf Arab states
Survival in a hostile neighborhood is the organizing fact of Israeli foreign policy, and almost every choice flows from it. The country built a qualitative military edge over far larger Arab and Persian rivals, then leaned on the United States to guarantee it with weapons, vetoes, and diplomatic cover no other partner offers. Around that core Israel has spent two decades quietly trading intelligence and trade with Gulf monarchies that share its fear of Iran, formalized for some in the 2020 normalization pacts. The bet is that demonstrated strength, not concession, wins Arab acceptance. That is why the prize Israel chases, recognition from Saudi Arabia, stays tied to how it handles power rather than how it handles the Palestinians.
What that logic leaves out is the cost of holding the Palestinian question open. Gaza and the West Bank keep Israel at odds with much of Europe, large parts of the developing world, and the same Arab publics whose governments it courts. The unresolved status of a Palestinian state is the single condition Riyadh keeps naming, and it is the one Israel’s governing coalition is least willing to grant. The recognition Israel keeps reaching for from Riyadh runs straight back through the territory it will not give up. A military that can reach Tehran cannot close that gap. A governing coalition that depends on its hard-right flank has little room to trade land for acceptance, which is why each battlefield success seems to widen rather than narrow Israel’s diplomatic isolation.
Source mapdis
https://www.mapdis.com/countries/israel
Report: UAE intel warned Shin Bet of Hamas action before Oct. 7, prompting leader’s call to Netanyahu
Emirati leader reportedly phoned premier to ensure info was passed on; more details revealed of alleged similar warning by Hamas chief Sinwar shortly before onslaught
By ToI Staff23 Sep 2026, 1:51 pm
