The reasons behind Hezbollah's decision to flex its muscle so aggressively may never be fully explained, but the hostagetaking carried an unmistakable message of defiance that seemed aimed not just at Israel, but at fellow Lebanese, neighboring governments and the West.
A Hezbollah spokesman in Beirut said the group had seized the moment when it could.
"It's a military thing. It has nothing to do with the political atmosphere," Hussein Naboulsi said.
"Catching Israeli soldiers is not a joke. It's tough work, and it takes a lot of planning," he said. "They found this moment, and they did what they did."
That may be so, but the timing of the move could prove beneficial for Hezbollah and its allies.
In Lebanon, the action solidifies the group's position as an armed entity independent of government control at a time when it was coming under increasing pressure to give up its weapons.
In the broader region, the move lends Hezbollah and Nasrallah the credibility of taking up the Palestinian cause as other Arab leaders are standing silently by. Today's Tehran Times, for example, ran the story under the headline "Hezbollah Rushes to Help Palestinians."
But the capture of the two soldiers Wednesday could also force Hamas and Israel deeper into their standoff. Some officials of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority had appeared to be edging toward a deal to release Cpl. Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier seized near Gaza last month. Now, it seems unlikely that Hamas and Israel will be able to conclude any such deal until Hezbollah is satisfied.
Internationally, the timing turns the captures into a symbolic strike for Hezbollah's chief patrons, Iran and Syria.
The raid comes as Iran remains locked in a standoff with the West, particularly the United States, over its controversial nuclear ambitions. The Bush administration also has accused Iran of improper meddling in the politics of oil-rich, war-ravaged Iraq. The Hezbollah move into Israel may, at a minimum, distract U.S. officials from their confrontation with Tehran.
Syria was publicly shamed last year when it was forced to withdraw soldiers from Lebanon. The product of international pressure and an eruption of Lebanese opposition, the Syrian withdrawal was widely seen as the loss of the last piece of strategic value that a weakened Damascus could claim -- its last poker chip in case of peace talks with Israel.
