Israel-Gaza updates: Hostage speaks 1st time since release

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant shared an update with reporters Wednesday after meeting with U.S. officials on the latest in the Israel-Hamas conflict and rising tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Gallant met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and several other U.S. officials in Washington, D.C. this week.

"During the meetings we made significant progress, obstacles were removed, and bottlenecks were addressed, in order to advance a variety of issues and more specifically the topic of force build-up and supply of munition,” Gallant said.

Gallant said he discussed "several issues," including "Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, the hostage issue, the transition to the next phase in Gaza, and how this will impact the region."

During Gallant's visit to the U.S., Hezbollah released a video message in which the group threatened to attack crucial Israeli buildings if a full-scale conflict were to break out in Lebanon.

“Hezbollah understands very well that we can inflict massive damage in Lebanon if a war is launched,” Gallant said

Over the past months, the Israeli Defense Forces have eliminated 400 Hezbollah terrorists, according to Gallant.

Regarding the conflict with Hamas, Gallant said, "Hamas as a military formation has been mostly dismantled. We have destroyed most of the Hamas battalions and formations and are now fighting pockets of resistance."

Gallant thanked the U.S. government and the American public "for their enduring support for the State of Israel.

Israeli and American officials sifted through "every single case" of weapons shipments at a meeting in Washington, D.C., clearing up any "misunderstandings" and making "real progress," a senior administration official said.

That does not mean, however, that the U.S. is going to begin shipping the large bombs that have been paused since May, after the president aired concerns about their use in highly populated areas, like Rafah. That pause is still under review, the official said.

In terms of other weapons and supplies, though, the official said there were misunderstandings that the delegations worked through stemming from "complexities" in the U.S.'s highly bureaucratic approval system and requests for certain items to be prioritized.

"We were able to go through everything, and I think where there were some misunderstandings, those were clarified -- about where certain cases might be in the course of our process, which can be complex," the senior administration official said.

"There was real progress in a mutual understanding of where things stand, of prioritization of certain cases over others, so that we can make sure that we are moving things in ways that meet the needs of the Israelis, and with the only exception being one shipment of MK-84s [the 2,000-pound bombs] that remains paused and under review," the official said.

This meeting comes after a video released June 18 by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing the U.S. of slowing weapons shipments, which the U.S. has denied.

That video was not discussed in Thursday’s meeting between Israeli Defense Minister Yaov Gallant and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the official said.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., to Israel on Wednesday and thanked him for his "moral clarity."

"We've been through dark times in these months of anguish war, and during that time, I can say that Israel has had no better friend than Sen. Jon Fetterman," Netanyahu said in a video. "Senator, welcome to Israel. I want to thank you for your courageous statements that show moral clarity and moral courage. And you just say it the way it is, and we appreciate your friendship at all times, but especially these times."

Fetterman has become outspoken in his support for Israel as some Democrats have increasingly distanced themselves amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He's been seen carrying a small Israel flag around the Capitol and at one point waived a large Israeli flag from the roof of his home in Pennsylvania as protesters gathered on the street waiving Palestinian flags below.

According to the post on X, Netanyahu told Fetterman that "his standing up to pro-Palestinian demonstrators, while waving an Israeli flag, was courageous and heart-warming."

In the video, Fetterman told Netanyahu, "We stand with Israel through this, and I am so sorry for what's been done to this nation, but I'm just in honor to be here today."

At the end of the video, Netanyahu told Fetterman, "I look forward to visiting you in Washington."

Netanyahu is set to address Congress on July 24.

-ABC News’ Allie Pecorin

House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote a letter to President Biden on Wednesday urging the president to "leverage all American options and influence to support Israel in bringing these hostages home."

"I write today to express grave concern that your administration is not taking sufficient steps to ensure the release of American hostages who are detained by Hamas." Johnson said. "The United States must do everything in our power to support Israel’s right to self-defense, and work toward the immediate release of hostages, including the remaining American citizens."

Johnson requested a briefing before July 10 on "the specific ways in which your administration plans to address the increasingly dire situation."

-ABC News’ Lauren Peller