Middle East updates: Israel targets Houthis in Yemen strikes

France summoned the United States' ambassador Charles Kushner on Sunday, over what Paris called "unacceptable" allegations he made about antisemitism in the country.

In an open letter in the Wall Street Journal addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron, Kushner accused French authorities of failing to stem antisemitic violence in the country.

He also called on President Macron to more urgently enforce hate-crime laws and "abandon steps that give legitimacy to Hamas and its allies."

Kushner, who is Jewish, is the father of Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law.

Kushner said Macron's statements about recognizing a Palestinian state and condemning Israel's role in the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza have helped fuel antisemitism in France.

"Public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France. In today's world, anti-Zionism is antisemitism — plain and simple," Kushner wrote.

In response, a French foreign ministry spokesperson said "France has learned of the allegations made by the United States Ambassador, Mr. Charles Kushner, who, in a letter to the President of the Republic, expressed his concern about the rise in antisemitic acts in France and noted the alleged lack of sufficient action by the French authorities to combat them."

"The ambassador's allegations are unacceptable," the ministry said, adding Kushner would be due to appear on Monday.

Kushner's letter follows another sent to Macron by Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week in which the Israeli prime minister accused Macron of contributing to antisemitism by calling for international recognition of a Palestinian state, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Macron has been one of the more vocal critics of Netanyahu, particularly with regard to Palestinian civilian casualties, while Trump has steadfastly supported the Israeli prime minister.

Officials say at least four people have been killed and dozens injured in Israeli strikes on Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. This comes just days after Iran-backed Houthi militants launched a new aerial attack on Israel that used cluster munitions for the first time. 

Shut for decades, the revered Le Colisee cinema in Beirut's Hamra district will reopen its doors in September. Its return is a sign of Lebanon's capacity to start anew despite ongoing political and economic crises.

Read more here.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled out any agreement with the United States under President Donald Trump in an address broadcast on state television on Sunday.

The problems were insoluble and no longer concerned mere allegations against Iran, such as supporting terrorism and the violation of human rights, but the US now demanded obedience and capitulation, Khamenei said.

"The Iranian people will oppose this abhorrent demand with full determination," he said.

Trump had also "incited" Israel to attack Iran to bring about political change, but both countries had been surprised to find that Iran had defended itself with dignity, Khamenei said.

Iran's supreme leader has the final say in all strategic matters. He has rarely appeared in public since Israel attacked nuclear targets across the country in June. Observers have suggested he has been hiding in a bunker to avoid any Israeli attempt on his life.

The status of talks with the US on the Iranian nuclear program remains unclear. 

Last month, Iran suspended its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The suspension limits the agency's ability to monitor Iran's nuclear activities, with its inspectors shut out.

In comments delivered at a mosque in Tehran and published on Khamenei's official website, the supreme leader said Washington wanted regime change in Iran. 

He said that a day after "Iran was attacked" by Israel at the start of the war, "American agents" met in Europe "to discuss what government should rule Iran after the Islamic republic."

Iran's theocratic government came to power in 1979 during the Iranian revolution, replacing the US-aligned Pahlavi dynasty. Since the 1979 revolution, US and Iranian ties have been extremely strained, with the two countries lacking formal diplomatic relations. 

Relatives of those held captive in Gaza demonstrated on Sunday outside the residences of Israeli ministers, calling for a ceasefire and a deal with Hamas for the release of the hostages.

"We will not forgive any further delay," said a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. "Listen to the people: End this war and bring everyone home." 

The protesters gathered outside the homes of six cabinet members, including Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. Another nationwide protest day is planned in Israel on Tuesday.

Hamas and other Palestinian groups abducted 251 people from Israel during the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Many of the hostages have been released as part of ceasefire deals, with 50 hostages still in Gaza. Israel estimates that 20 of those 50 hostages are still alive.  

A Palestinian cameraman has been killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Sunday.

WAFA said the Palestinian television employee was shot in the northern part of Gaza, near the Zikim goods crossing.

The shooting occurred on Saturday.

The Palestinian Journalists' Association expressed sorrow over the death of Khaled al-Madhoun, and lamented an "ongoing Israeli campaign against journalists aimed at silencing Palestinian narratives."

The reported killing of the Palestinian cameraman came after an Israeli attack in Gaza left Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif dead along with several of his colleagues. Israel claims Anas al-Sharif was a member of Hamas, while Al Jazeera and media rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, have rejected that accusation.   

Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's capital on Sunday.

The strikes in Sanaa come just days after the Iranian-backed Houthis fired a missile toward Israel.

The Houthi rebels said multiple areas across Sanaa were struck. The Houthi-run health ministry said that at least two people were killed and 35 others injured.

Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, said the latest strikes won't deter the rebels.

"Our military operations supporting Gaza won't stop, God willing, unless the aggression is stopped, and the siege is lifted," he wrote on social media.

The Houthis say they are attacking in solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. The Israeli airstrike in Sanaa comes after the Houthis launched a missile at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv on Friday. 

The Iran-aligned Houthis are considered a terrorist group by Israel, the US, the UAE and several other countries.  

Israel struck Yemen's capital Sanaa on Sunday, killing at least two people, according to the Houthi rebels who have repeatedly launched missiles and drones toward Israel throughout the Gaza war.

We'll be covering reactions to all of this, along with other developments from across the Middle East, right here in this blog.