( CNN ) -- What Syria asserts is Israel 's launch of two air strikes on Damascus last week presents a marked and dangerous escalation of that country 's involvement in the Syrian war . Israel 's intervention -- if confirmed -- also shows how the conflict has mutated from a political uprising to an internal armed struggle , and now to a regional war by proxy fiercely fought on Syria 's killing fields . ( Israel has a policy of refusing to confirm or deny attacks attributed to its military . ) The confrontation in Syria has become more complex , more perilous , and more difficult to resolve . The Syrian struggle has not only spread into Syria 's neighbors , like Lebanon , Iraq , Jordan and Turkey -- but has also become a battlefield wherein Israel and Iran are challenging each other . There is also a fierce geostrategic rivalry unfolding in Syria between Sunni-dominant Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran , a rivalry invested and fuelled with sectarianism . A real danger exists that this complex conflict in Syria could escalate into a region-wide battle involving Syria 's major allies -- Iran and Hezbollah , and Israel , other regional powers , and the Western states . Israel 's alleged deepening involvement in the conflict also changes the dynamics of the political struggle in Syria in two ways . It puts the armed opposition on the defensive , because it shows them that they and Israel are indirectly battling the same enemy -- the Assad regime . And it reinforces President Bashar al-Assad 's dominant narrative : that the struggle in Syria is not internal , that this is not about a domestic coalition striving to replace authoritarianism with democracy -- but rather this is a wider conspiracy spearheaded by Israel and its regional allies and Western powers . The Syrian official media has already portrayed Israel 's bombings as an attempt to shore up the armed opposition and reverse the balance of power in its favor . Although the Iranian leadership has repeatedly stated that it would come to the aid of Syria if it is attacked by Israel , it is unlikely that Iran or its partner Hezbollah would retaliate directly against Israel 's possible strikes . Both Iran and Hezbollah would like to avoid a regional conflict in which Israel and its allies would have the upper hand . Opinion : Is Obama failing on moral leadership ? What Iran and Hezbollah would most likely do is deepen their involvement in Syria 's shifting sands . In an emotional speech last week , Hassan Nasrallah , the Hezbollah top leader , stressed that al-Assad 's allies will not allow Syria to fall . Now Hezbollah and Iran would become more determined than ever to prevent the removal of al-Assad from power . Bluntly put , the recent escalation of hostilities will not only prolong the deadly conflict in Syria , but has now made it an open-ended war by proxy -- one with major potential repercussions for regional and international security and peace . Israel 's major goal appears to be the establishment of a red line in Syria , whereby no advanced weapons reach Hezbollah -- its archenemy in Lebanon . Israel 's primary audience was Hezbollah and Iran . Israel is taking a calculated gamble that neither Syria nor Hezbollah would risk retaliation . Obama : 'Do not foresee scenario ' of American boots on ground in Syria . There is a risk of miscalculation that could trigger a bigger clash . Given the risks and the dangers of a region-wide conflict , one would hope that the great powers -- particularly the United States and Russia -- would assume their historic responsibility and reach an understanding that begins the process of putting an end to the deadly struggle in Syria that has killed more than 70,000 Syrians , according to the latest United Nations estimate , and caused a humanitarian disaster . More than two years after the breakout of the Syrian confrontation there does not seem to be a military solution . It is a long war of attrition with no end in sight . Neither internal camp seems to have the means to deliver a decisive blow . Only a political solution will put an end to the shedding of Syrian blood and prevent the unthinkable : a region-wide conflict that would have catastrophic consequences . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Fawaz A. Gerges .
Gerges : Israel 's alleged involvement changes the dynamics of Syrian struggle . Iran stated it would aid Syria if it is attacked by Israel , but it is unlikely it would retaliate directly . A political solution will put an end to the bloodshed and prevent a region-wide conflict , he says .