Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said the powerful Lebanese Shiite militia movement he leads knew nothing about the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas rampage in southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 people — mostly civilians — and hundreds of others being taken hostage.

In his first speech since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, Mr. Nasrallah on Friday said the operation was planned in total secrecy, with even other Palestinian factions unaware of what was about to happen. Iran, a prime backer of both Hezbollah and Hamas, has also insisted it did not know of the planned terror attack.

“This great, large-scale operation was purely the result of Palestinian planning and implementation,” Mr. Nasrallah said in a televised address, suggesting his militia had no part in the attack. “The great secrecy made this operation greatly successful.”

The Biden administration has said it has not seen any proof to date that Tehran was behind the Oct. 7 attack, although Iranian officials have praised and defended the assault in the days after it took place. Mr. Nasrallah Friday also sharply criticized the U.S. for supporting Israel‘s ongoing retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon continue to exchange sporadic fire with Israel Defense Forces troops across the Israeli-Lebanese border in a flare-up of hostilities since the Israel-Hamas war broke out. The IDF has responded with air and artillery strikes on Hezbollah targets.

The Associated Press reported that the Israeli military has said that seven of its soldiers and one civilian had been killed on the northern border as of Friday, far from the fighting in Gaza. More than 50 Hezbollah fighters and 10 militants with allied groups, as well as 10 civilians, including a Reuters journalist, have been killed on the Lebanese side of the border.

Hezbollah has more troops and weapons than Hamas, including an arsenal of more than 100,000 rockets and precision-guided missiles capable of striking targets deep inside Israel. Its fighters fought Israeli troops to a draw in a brief but intense border war in 2006 and analysts say Hezbollah has only gotten stronger since then.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.