Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has alleged that armed Israeli settlers detained him and several other Americans during a visit to the occupied West Bank. He also claimed that Israeli military personnel later sided with the settlers instead of assisting his group.
Khanna shared details of the incident on social media, describing the experience as deeply concerning. According to him, the group had travelled to inspect a Palestinian village that had suffered extensive destruction.
“Israeli settlers, brandishing American-made M4s, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine,” Khanna wrote.
Khanna Describes What Happened
According to Khanna, the delegation was visiting a village that had been heavily damaged. He said buildings, including a school, had been destroyed before their arrival.
“We were at a village that Israeli settlers had destroyed; they had destroyed the school, they had destroyed that village, and we were just looking at it,” said Khanna.
He further claimed that the situation worsened after Israeli military personnel reached the location.
“When the Israeli military arrived at the scene,” he added, “They sided with the settlers & continued our detention. They made a huge mistake.”
Road Reportedly Blocked for More Than an Hour
According to Khanna’s account, armed settlers blocked the road outside a small village in the southern occupied West Bank. The group reportedly prevented the Americans from leaving the area.
Khanna’s aide, Cameron Kasky, said the group remained stopped for more than an hour. During that time, they reportedly contacted the US Embassy for assistance.
The delegation was near Khirbet Zanuta, a small Palestinian hamlet whose residents were reportedly displaced after repeated settler raids following October 2023.
Khanna also said Israeli soldiers later arrived and spoke with the settlers. According to him, the soldiers then blocked the road themselves after the settlers departed.
Eventually, the group was allowed to leave after contacts were made with the US Embassy and Israeli police.
Incident Draws Attention Amid Ongoing West Bank Violence
The reported incident comes as violence continues across the occupied West Bank.
According to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, illegal Israeli settlers carried out 3,488 attacks across the occupied West Bank during the first half of this year. The commission said those attacks resulted in the deaths of 17 Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Palestinian figures state that since October 8, 2023, attacks involving the Israeli army and illegal settlers have killed 1,179 Palestinians and wounded 12,666 others. In addition, around 24,000 people have reportedly been arrested during the same period.
The latest allegations by the US congressman are likely to draw further international attention to the security situation in the occupied West Bank, particularly following claims involving both armed settlers and Israeli military personnel.
