U.S. Representative Ro Khanna was detained by armed Israeli settlers for over 90 minutes while visiting an abandoned Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank. The confrontation occurred against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Gaza and a documented surge in settler violence that has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians across the territory.
The California Democrat was traveling with a delegation that included a New York Times photojournalist. Settlers brandishing American-made M4 rifles blocked his group in Khirbet Zanuta on Wednesday. Khanna reported that responding Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops actually sided with the settlers, using a military vehicle to barricade the road. His group was only allowed to leave after placing direct calls to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and Israeli police.
But the Israeli military formally disputes Khanna’s account of troop participation. According to a report by CBS News, the IDF stated that soldiers responded to reports of civilians blocking vehicles, quickly dispersed the armed individuals, and reopened the road without taking part in the blockade. Khanna rejected that framing. He called the incident a firsthand look at the “arrogance of power” and the daily realities faced by Palestinians living under military occupation.
The detention immediately triggered institutional pushback in Washington. The Council on American-Islamic Relations officially condemned the encounter. The organization called on every member of Congress to reject settler violence and ensure U.S. taxpayer dollars do not facilitate ongoing human rights abuses. And the event highlights escalating risks to international observers in the region. Just last year, in May 2025, IDF troops fired warning shots near a visiting diplomatic delegation representing the European Union, Japan, and Russia after they allegedly wandered into a restricted area in the West Bank.