The Israeli Mossad has officially released documents and minutes of meetings with its most significant spy in history, “Ashraf Marwan,” the son-in-law of the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, as described by Israeli security circles. These documents, which were confidential, contain all the information provided by the spy, who was nicknamed “The Angel,” before, during, and after the October 1973 war. Among them is a photo of him with the Mossad officer responsible for him, known as “Dubi.”
In addition, the Mossad published what it called “golden news” received on October 12, six days after the war began. The Mossad stated that this news changed the course of the war in favor of Israel, preventing a potential defeat and leading to a turning point and victory in a decisive battle on the southern front.
The Hebrew newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth” highlighted these documents and published photocopies of them. This revelation is part of a book titled “Shamgol,” which narrates the story of the Mossad before and during what Israel calls the “Yom Kippur War” – the October 6, 1973 war.
The Hebrew newspaper reported that Ashraf Marwan was the one who conveyed to the former Mossad chief, “Zvi Zamir,” the warning of the joint attack by the Egyptian and Syrian armies on the night preceding the outbreak of the 1973 war. This is the first time the Israeli intelligence agency has proactively and officially published historical research and documents that have been preserved in the Mossad archives and most of which have not been disclosed to the public.
In this context, the Mossad presents for the first time documents and quotations from many sources and agents whom its agents’ division recruited and operated in Arab countries. These agents served in various positions in the military and political leadership of the “hostile” countries.
One of the highly dangerous pieces of information revealed in this Mossad book states: “The Zionist Mossad had many, many human sources other than agent Ashraf Marwan.” It continued: “One of these individuals, whose story was also published, was a senior Egyptian officer nicknamed “Fix” and “Kurat,” who provided important information for years. During the war, he provided “golden information” that helped the Israeli army cross the canal into Egypt.”
Ashraf Marwan, the son-in-law of former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, was one of the close advisors to his successor, Anwar Sadat. In the 1960s, he married Nasser’s third daughter, bringing him into the president’s inner circle. He held the position of a roving ambassador and undertook sensitive diplomatic missions around the world.
On the night of October 4-5, “Dubi” received a message that Marwan wanted to meet him as soon as possible to deliver “very important information… regarding the list of chemicals he possessed.” These chemicals, according to the Mossad’s statement, served as a war warning code agreed upon between “The Angel” – Ashraf Marwan – and his handler “Dubi,” who immediately traveled to London to meet Marwan and obtain the information.
According to the released information, Marwan informed Dubi that “there is a 99% chance that the war will start tomorrow, Saturday. This was decided because it is a holiday for the Israelis.” He added that “the war will start simultaneously on both sides – Egyptian and Syrian.”
The Hebrew newspaper conveyed “The Angel’s” detailed information: “The movement had been planned for about six months. The entire army was on the front except for two brigades. They were moved to the front last week. Sadat decided on September 25 as the date for the move and the war, but he told no one and requested his headquarters in the palace to be prepared.”
Marwan also revealed that the war would start in the evening, but it actually broke out around 2 pm. He also provided details about the expected airstrikes by the Egyptian and Syrian armies: “The Egyptian Air Force will attack targets in Sinai. They will not attack deep into Israel. The Syrian Air Force will attack three military bases, one of them in Ramat David, and they will try to hit the runways.”
Marwan also mentioned that Sadat was planning a long war. When asked why, he replied: “There is a 99% chance of war. This is before my experience with the president. He can change his mind even when he presses the button. He is very naive. He thinks he will surprise you, but I personally am not sure about that.”
The report also touched on the issue of whether Marwan was a double agent, a matter that has concerned the top echelons of the Israeli intelligence community for decades. Many, including the Mossad chief during the Yom Kippur War, retired General Eli Zeira, claim he was a double agent. The continuous mistake by the Mossad eventually led to the complete surprise in October 1973.
The book published by the Mossad refers to these allegations, stating that “from the total intelligence information, it can be estimated that the claims that ‘