Israeli strikes raise stakes in face-off with Hezbollah

By Luke Baker and Laila BassamJERUSALEM/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two Israeli air strikes against Hezbollah targets in Syria in recent weeks seem to mark a more openly assertive stance toward the group after years of shadow boxing, requiring careful calibration to avoid escalation into a war that neither wants.For most of the six-year-long conflict in Syria, Israel has stuck determinedly to the sidelines, not wanting to get sucked into the chaos unfolding to its northeast.Since early in the conflict, t