Democratic Representative Ro Khanna says armed Israeli settlers prevented his delegation from leaving a Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank for more than an hour, an encounter he described as a direct demonstration of the insecurity experienced by Palestinians in the territory.
Khanna, who represents part of California’s Silicon Valley, said the incident occurred Wednesday near Khirbet Zanuta in the southern West Bank. He was visiting the area with American aides and other members of a delegation focused on Palestinian communities and human rights.
According to Khanna, settlers carrying U.S.-made M4-style rifles surrounded the group’s vehicle and blocked the road while the delegation was examining damage in a village previously affected by settler attacks.
Cameron Kasky, an aide traveling with Khanna, said the group was unable to leave for more than an hour and contacted the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for assistance. Israeli police officers eventually arrived and the delegation was allowed to continue, according to the group’s account.
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Khanna said Israeli soldiers who initially appeared at the location did not immediately protect the American visitors or remove the roadblock. He accused the security forces of treating the settlers more favorably despite being informed that an American member of Congress was inside the vehicle.
The Israeli military provided a somewhat different description. It said troops and police responded after receiving a report that Israeli civilians were obstructing vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta. According to the military, security personnel dispersed the settlers and allowed the vehicles to proceed.
No injuries were reported, and Khanna was not formally arrested by Israeli authorities. The term “detained” reflects his description of being prevented from leaving rather than a criminal detention carried out under an official order.
Khirbet Zanuta is a small Palestinian community whose residents were displaced following repeated attacks and intimidation attributed to Israeli settlers after the October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel. Khanna said his delegation was visiting damaged homes and a school when the confrontation occurred.
The congressman said the episode made him feel powerless despite the political influence and protections normally associated with his position. He argued that the experience offered a limited indication of what Palestinians may face when roads are blocked or armed settlers enter their communities.
The incident comes amid increasing international concern about violence involving settlers in the West Bank. Australia, Canada, France, Norway and the United Kingdom imposed coordinated sanctions in June against individuals and organizations accused of financing or enabling attacks on Palestinian civilians. Israel has criticized international sanctions and disputes claims that settler violence reflects official government policy.
Most countries and the United Nations consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law. Israel rejects that interpretation, describing the territory as disputed and pointing to historic Jewish connections to the land. Approximately 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, alongside about three million Palestinians.
Khanna has become one of the more outspoken Democratic critics of Israeli government policy. Earlier this year, he helped lead dozens of lawmakers in calling on the Trump administration to oppose steps they said could amount to annexation of the West Bank.
His latest visit was organized primarily through Palestinian groups rather than Israeli government officials. Khanna said he wanted an account of conditions that was not shaped by official diplomatic programming.
He has also said he is strongly considering seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 and that the visit reinforced his interest. Such a campaign has not been formally announced, and his remarks should not be treated as confirmation that he will run.
The incident could increase pressure in Congress for greater oversight of how American military assistance and weapons are used. Khanna specifically highlighted the apparent presence of American-made rifles, although publicly available information does not establish how the individual settlers obtained those weapons or whether they were supplied directly through U.S. military assistance.
Why It Matters
An armed group blocking an American congressional delegation raises diplomatic and security questions even without injuries or a formal arrest. The encounter may strengthen demands for the U.S. government to investigate settler violence and determine whether American weapons are reaching civilians involved in intimidation or attacks.
For Palestinians, Khanna’s account could bring additional attention to roadblocks, displacement and the limited ability of local communities to seek protection. For Israel, the incident may increase international scrutiny of whether its police and military are adequately enforcing the law against violent or unauthorized settler activity.
What Comes Next
Khanna is expected to discuss the encounter with congressional colleagues and may seek further information from the State Department, the U.S. Embassy and Israeli authorities.
Questions remain about the identities of the armed settlers, the source of their weapons and how Israeli personnel responded during the period when the delegation was unable to leave. Any formal investigation will need to compare witness testimony with police, military and embassy records.
Ro Khanna described being blocked by armed Israeli settlers during a visit to the occupied West Bank.
Ro Khanna said he was detained by Israeli settlers armed with US-made rifles during a West Bank visit this week that the Democratic lawmaker cast as an unfiltered look at the toll of Israeli occupation as he weighs a 2028 presidential run https://t.co/1cLLaCQrOf pic.twitter.com/Dw8QqJNk0j
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 11, 2026
