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Israel Braces for Iranian Retaliation after U.S. Kills Soleimani
(Reuters) Stephen Farrell - In the wake of the U.S. air strike that killed senior Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani on Friday, Israel Army Radio said the military had gone on heightened alert, amid fears that Iran could strike through its regional allies - Hizbullah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. "They will wait for the right moment to exact revenge, perhaps by firing into Israeli territory through Shiite militias in Syria and perhaps even from Gaza," said Ron Ben-Yishai, an Israeli commentator for Ynet. In Gaza, Hamas condemned Soleimani's killing and sent its "dearest condolences" to Iran. Israel has long regarded Soleimani as a major threat. In August the IDF foiled a Quds Force attack, administered by Soleimani, involving multiple drones from Syria. Israel has also accused him of leading efforts to establish a precision-guided missiles program for Hizbullah. Israeli opposition lawmaker Yair Lapid congratulated U.S. President Trump on Twitter for killing those responsible for "murderous terrorist acts from Damascus to Buenos Aires."