In an interview with foreign correspondents on Wednesday, the head of the IDF's Operations Directorate declared that Israel considers Islamic State (ISIS) one of its enemies.
Major General Nitzan Alon stressed that Israel is actively engaged in the fight against ISIS, although the terror organization has not yet launched an attack on the Jewish state.
"Iran remains Israel's greatest enemy, but the Islamic State organization is also a danger to us," Alon told the journalists. "We are part of the coalition against Daesh and we cooperate with its allies, which includes the transfer of intelligence information."
Although ISIS has never officially attacked Israel, it has published several videos threatening the Jewish state.
In October, the group released a video in Hebrew, featuring what appears to be an Israeli Arab; the speaker threatens that "not a single Jew will be left in the entire country."
ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi also issued a threat against Israel in an audio recording from late December, saying his jihadists are preparing to attack the Jewish state.
"The Jews thought we forgot Palestine and that they had distracted us from it. Not at all, Jews. We did not forget Palestine for a moment. With the help of Allah, we will not forget it," he warned.
Alon noted to journalists that while the international coalition against ISIS has made gains, he anticipates a long struggle.
"I don't think that Daesh will collapse in the coming months or year," he said. "It won't be easy. Not short and not easy."