The outgoing Israeli Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, expressed his concern about what he called the "security threat from Egypt," considering that it does not currently pose a threat to Tel Aviv, but the matter "could change in a moment."

Channel 14 Israel quoted Halevi, who is scheduled to officially hand over his position to his successor Eyal Zamir in early March, as making his statements to graduates of an officers' course in the city of Holon.

"Israel is concerned about the security threat from Egypt," Halevi said.

"We believe it is not a threat at the moment, but that could change at any moment," he added.

"We are very concerned about this," he continued, adding, "This is not our priority right now, and we have to say that."

The Israeli Chief of Staff said: "Egypt has a large army equipped with advanced combat equipment, aircraft, submarines, advanced missiles, and a very large number of tanks and infantry fighters."

This is not the first time that an Israeli official has expressed his fears about Egypt's military situation. Tel Aviv's permanent representative to the United Nations, Danny Danon, expressed Israel's concerns about the Egyptian army's armament.

“They have no threats in the region,” Danon said in January. “Why do they (the Egyptians) need all these submarines and tanks?”

In February, Egypt's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Osama Abdel Khalek, responded to him by saying: "Since he (Danon) gave himself the right to ask questions, the answer is clear, simple and direct: Strong and major countries like Egypt require strong armies capable of defending national security in its comprehensive dimensions through sufficient and diverse armament."

He continued: "I confirm that Egypt was the first to establish the foundations of peace in the Middle East, and it is committed to the cause of peace as a strategic choice, but it is capable of defending its national security with a strong army and a history extending back thousands of years."

Abdel Khaleq stressed that "the Egyptian military doctrine is defensive, and it is capable of deterrence."

On March 26, 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in Washington following the Camp David Accords between the two sides in 1978. Its most prominent provisions were the cessation of the state of war, the normalization of relations, Israel’s complete withdrawal of its armed forces and civilians from the Sinai Peninsula, and keeping the area demilitarized.