(Reuters) -Israeli strikes hit the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday in retaliation for Houthi missiles fired towards Israel, with Houthi media saying the attack killed at least two people and injured five.

The strikes are the latest in over a year of direct attacks and counterstrikes between Israel and Houthi militants in Yemen, part of a spillover from the war in Gaza.

Israeli bulldozers uprooted hundreds of trees in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir on Sunday in the presence of the Israeli military, according to AFP journalists who witnessed the scene.

Most of the felled vegetation appeared to be olive trees, essential to the economy and culture of the West Bank, while olive groves have also long been a flashpoint for violent clashes between farmers and encroaching Israeli settlers.

Israeli strikes in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Sunday killed at least six people, according to the country's Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel throughout the Gaza war.

AFP images showed a large fireball lighting up the skies over the rebel-held capital, leaving behind a column of thick, black smoke.

The Huthi-run Saba news agency reported six people killed and 86 wounded in the Israeli raid, with more than 20 in critical condition, citing the health ministry.

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia and Ukraine exchanged 146 prisoners of war from each side on Sunday after mediation by the United Arab Emirates, the Russian defence ministry and the Ukrainian president said.

The Russian ministry said all of the freed Russians were in Belarus receiving psychological and medical assistance.

Ukraine also returned to Moscow eight Russian citizens, residents of the Kursk region, the ministry said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, writing on the Telegram messaging app, announced that the exchange had taken place, but gave no figures.

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Sunday that a group of nations including United Nations Security Council members should be the guarantors of Ukraine's security.

Reuters reported last week that President Vladimir Putin is demanding that Ukraine give up all of the eastern Donbas region, renounce ambitions to join NATO, remain neutral and keep Western troops out of the country, three sources familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking told Reuters.

(Reuters) -Top U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack arrived in Israel and met on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the U.S. request that Israel restrain its strikes in Lebanon, and negotiations with Syria, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said in a post on X, citing three Israeli and U.S. sources.

Barrack also met with Israel's minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Minister of Defense Israel Katz, the reporter added.

(Reporting by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru; Editing by Jan Harvey)

DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran will stand strongly against the United States wanting to make Tehran 'obedient', the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in comments carried by state media on Sunday.

"Those who threaten us to have direct negotiations with the U.S. only see appearances in my opinion ... the issue is unsolvable", Khamenei said.

(Reporting by Elwely Elwelly)

(Reuters) -The World Health Organization said a staff member was released on Sunday more than four weeks after being detained in Gaza by Israeli forces.

"Extremely relieved that our colleague, detained since 21 July in Gaza, was released this morning," agency Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X. He reiterated a call for protection of all WHO staff and personnel, and health and humanitarian workers.

In July, the United Nations agency said the Israeli military had attacked its staff residence and main warehouse in the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah.

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Lili Bayer

CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli planes and tanks pounded the eastern and northern outskirts of Gaza City overnight Saturday to Sunday, destroying buildings and homes, residents said, as Israeli leaders vowed to press on with a planned offensive on the city.

Witnesses reported the sound of explosions non-stop overnight in the areas of Zeitoun and Shejaia, while tanks shelled houses and roads in the nearby Sabra neighbourhood and several buildings were blown up in the northern town of Jabalia.

(Reuters) -Thousands of Australians joined pro-Palestinian rallies on Sunday, organisers said, amid strained relations between Israel and Australia following the centre-left government's decision to recognise a Palestinian state.