Ro Khanna detained by Israeli settlers during West Bank visit, lawmaker says
US Representative Ro Khanna says he and his party were detained by armed Israeli settlers near Khirbet Zanuta, accusing the military of siding with them. The incident has intensified debate over settler violence and US military aid to Israel.
Immediate account of the detention
A US lawmaker, Ro Khanna, said he and members of his tour group were stopped and held by armed Israeli settlers while visiting the occupied West Bank on July 10, 2026. Khanna posted on X that the settlers blocked the road and that when Israeli forces arrived they sided with the settlers and maintained the detention.
Khanna told reporters the group was detained for more than an hour and eventually sought help from the US embassy in Jerusalem. An aide travelling with him said police later intervened, allowing the group to leave.
Location and Israeli security response
The incident occurred near Khirbet Zanuta, a small Palestinian community in the southern West Bank that rights groups say has repeatedly been targeted in recent years. The Israeli military said troops and police officers intervened after receiving a report that settlers were blocking vehicles in the area.
Israeli authorities described a sequence of responses that led to officers and troops arriving at the scene, and said law enforcement ultimately allowed the convoy to proceed. The military did not comment on Khanna’s claim that soldiers took the settlers’ side, saying only that forces had responded to reports of obstruction.
Eyewitness descriptions and claims about weapons
Khanna and an aide described the settlers as armed with rifles and, in Khanna’s words, “machine guns,” which he said were US-made assault rifles. He said the group felt intimidated by young armed men and by soldiers who, in his view, showed little respect for the fact that Americans were being detained.
The aide, Cameron Kasky, said appeals were made to the US embassy during the episode and that the group was released after police appeared to take control. Khanna later told DRM News the experience marked the first time he had felt acutely aware of his own ethnicity while visiting the area.
Context of increasing settler violence
Rights organisations and international monitors report a sustained rise in violence by Israeli settlers across the West Bank since the 2023 conflict in Gaza, a pattern that has drawn heightened international scrutiny. Amnesty International has accused Israeli authorities of policies amounting to a campaign of forcible displacement in parts of the occupied territories, language the organisation uses to characterise the wider pattern of abuses.
Several Western governments have sanctioned networks linked to settler violence in recent months, and human rights groups say that political rhetoric and policy decisions in Israel have emboldened some settler groups. Israeli officials dispute characterisations that suggest a state-directed campaign and point to law-enforcement actions taken in volatile areas.
Political fallout in Washington
The detention has fed into an ongoing debate in the United States over military aid to Israel, which has traditionally received bipartisan support. Khanna, who is weighing a possible 2028 presidential bid, repeated calls to review US assistance after the incident and framed the episode as a serious diplomatic and policy concern.
Lawmakers from both parties have in recent months questioned aspects of US support for Israel, and Representative Thomas Massie has sponsored legislation seeking to end certain military funding. Khanna noted that a House Rules Committee vote on a bill co-sponsored by Massie had been cancelled last week, underscoring friction within Congress over how Washington should respond.
Diplomatic and security implications
The detention of an American congressman in the West Bank poses diplomatic sensitivities for the US-Israel relationship and could intensify congressional scrutiny of bilateral security ties. Officials in Washington will likely seek clarifications from Israeli authorities about the sequence of events and the role of military and police forces.
For Palestinian residents of areas like Khirbet Zanuta, the episode highlights long-standing security concerns and the precarious nature of their displacement and access to movement. Observers say the incident is likely to be cited by advocates pressing for stronger international oversight and accountability measures.
The episode in the West Bank underscores wider tensions between Israeli settlers, the Israeli security apparatus, and Palestinian communities, and it has amplified calls in Washington for a careful reassessment of US policy and assistance.
