U.S. Representative Ro Khanna stated that he was detained for approximately 90 minutes by armed Israeli settlers while visiting the occupied West Bank. Khanna, a Democrat from California, was on a fact-finding mission to assess the impact of Israeli occupation in the area.
According to Khanna, the incident occurred near the ruins of Khirbet Zanuta, a village he said Israeli settlers had destroyed. He reported that the individuals who arrived were carrying American-made M4 machine guns and blocked the road. Khanna asserted that the Israeli military (IDF) sided with the settlers rather than the Americans.
An aide accompanying Khanna indicated that appeals were made to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for assistance. The group was reportedly released after intervention by a group of police officers. The IDF confirmed the incident, stating that troops dispersed Israeli civilians and allowed vehicles to proceed.
Israel has established approximately 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the 1967 Middle East war. These settlements house around 700,000 Jewish Israelis. International law considers these settlements illegal. Palestinians view these areas, along with Gaza, as essential for a future independent state. Approximately 3.3 million Palestinians reside in the West Bank alongside the settlers.
Khanna, who is 49 years old and has expressed consideration of a presidential run in 2028, was visiting the West Bank to document conditions in the area. The U.S. representative described the individuals who detained them as "hoodlums."