Representative Ro Khanna has accused the Israeli military of providing a false account of an encounter in which armed settlers and soldiers allegedly prevented his American delegation from leaving an area of the occupied West Bank.
The California Democrat made the accusation during a Sunday television interview after the Israel Defense Forces said its personnel quickly dispersed settlers blocking vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta and reopened the road.
“The IDF is lying,” Khanna said, alleging that four soldiers instead sided with the settlers and continued preventing the delegation from leaving. He called for investigations into both the armed civilians and the military personnel who responded.
Khanna said settlers carrying M4-style rifles surrounded the group’s vehicles, kicked the tires, recorded the visitors and mocked them. The congressman described the delegation as being unable to move for approximately 20 minutes after soldiers arrived.
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Other members of the delegation have offered a longer overall timeline. Khanna aide Cameron Kasky said the convoy was blocked for more than an hour when the initial confrontation and the later interaction with security forces were considered together. The group contacted the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem before Israeli police eventually helped it leave, according to the delegation’s account.
Khanna posted footage showing armed individuals and soldiers near the blocked road. The publicly available images support the claim that the convoy’s route was obstructed, but they do not independently establish every exchange described by the two sides or the precise duration of the incident.
A New York Times photographer witnessed part of the confrontation, according to the Associated Press. No one in the delegation was formally arrested, and the word “detained” is being used to describe the group being physically prevented from continuing its journey.
The Israeli military disputes Khanna’s description. It said troops responded to a report of Israeli civilians blocking foreign nationals and journalists, dispersed those responsible and allowed the vehicles to continue. The IDF specifically denied that its soldiers participated in blocking the road.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterized those involved as a small group of young offenders who did not represent the wider settler population. Khanna responded that Israel should identify and investigate the individuals involved rather than dismiss the encounter as isolated misconduct.
The dispute became increasingly political after Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Leiter questioned Khanna’s reasons for organizing the visit without Israeli government participation.
Leiter suggested that the congressman wanted favorable publicity ahead of a possible 2028 presidential campaign. He also attempted to connect the timing of Khanna’s disclosure to political criticism the congressman faced over his previous support for former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.
CBS host Margaret Brennan noted that Khanna had reportedly asked journalists not to disclose the encounter until his delegation had left Israeli-controlled territory. Khanna rejected the ambassador’s allegations and said he had previously met Israeli hostages and condemned the October 7 Hamas attacks.
Nadav Weiman, director of the Israeli veterans’ organization Breaking the Silence, was traveling with the delegation and supported Khanna’s account. He said the settlers first blocked the group and that soldiers later appeared to follow their direction rather than ordering them to leave.
Khirbet Zanuta is a Palestinian community in the southern West Bank whose residents were displaced following repeated settler attacks after October 2023. Khanna said his delegation was examining damaged buildings and learning about conditions facing Palestinians when the road was blocked.
Most governments and the United Nations consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes that position and describes the territory’s final status as a matter for future negotiations.
The confrontation may increase pressure on Congress to examine settler violence and the use of American-manufactured weapons. Reuters reported that the United States provides Israel with approximately $3.8 billion in annual military assistance, although the available evidence does not establish how the settlers seen near Khanna obtained their rifles.
Why It Matters
The competing accounts involve the treatment of a U.S. elected official and American citizens by armed civilians and foreign security forces. The controversy could affect congressional oversight of military aid, relations with Israel and demands for accountability when settlers interfere with Palestinian communities or foreign visitors.
The video may clarify parts of the encounter, but a credible investigation would also require military communications, police records, embassy contacts and testimony from everyone present.
What Comes Next
Khanna is calling for Israel to investigate the settlers and the four soldiers he says participated in blocking the delegation. He may also request information from the State Department and the U.S. Embassy about their response.
Israeli authorities have not announced a formal investigation into the soldiers’ conduct. Until additional records or footage are released, the congressman’s account and the IDF’s denial will remain in direct conflict.
A U.S. lawmaker condemned the reported blocking of Ro Khanna’s delegation in the occupied West Bank.
“It’s just completely unacceptable under any circumstances” @RepGregStanton (D-Arizona) tells @EenaRuffini and @davidgura about @RepRoKhanna‘s experience in the West Bank. Khanna says he was blockaded by Israeli settlers for over an hour. pic.twitter.com/tq9JErOcHT
— Bloomberg (@business) July 12, 2026
