Israel ignored Egypt's warning over Hamas attack: US official

Three days before Hamas ambushed Israeli forces in a significant attack, Egypt warned Israel of impending violence, according to the influential US House Foreign Affairs Committee’s chairman. “We know that Egypt has warned the Israelis three days prior that an event like this could happen,” Republican Michael McCaul told reporters following a closed-door intelligence briefing for lawmakers on the crisis. For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app. “I don’t want to get too much into classified, but a warning was given,” he said. “I think the question was at what level.” More than 1,500 terrorists broke past the Gaza security barrier in their coordinated land, air, and sea attack on the Jewish Sabbath, causing the bloodiest strike in Israel’s 75-year history. The US ally claims that Hamas terrorists stormed into small towns and settlements and indiscriminately slaughtered inhabitants who fled to their homes or perished defending their neighbourhoods, killing more over 1,200 people and injuring over 2,700 others. In retaliation, Israel has been ruthlessly bombing Hamas targets in Gaza; as a result, more than 3,700 Israeli and Palestinian civilians, soldiers, and combatants have already died in the conflict. President Joe Biden of Washington has promised to provide more US weapons and military equipment and has voiced disgust at the “sheer evil” of the killing of people. According to McCaul, the attack may have been prepared as far in advance as a year. “We’re not quite sure how we missed it. We’re not quite sure how Israel missed it,” he told reporters. (With agency inputs)