US Congressman Ro Khanna Says Armed Israeli Settlers Detained Him In West Bank

US Congressman Ro Khanna has alleged that he and members of his delegation were held for over an hour by armed Israeli settlers while visiting the occupied West Bank.

Khanna described the incident as an "unfiltered" look at the realities of life under Israeli occupation while sharing the experience.

The Democratic representative from California said the incident took place on Wednesday while he was touring Khirbet Zanuta, a Palestinian hamlet in the southern West Bank that has witnessed repeated settler attacks, according to an India Today report.

Khanna recounts West Bank visit

"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," Khanna told Reuters.

"These hoodlums came in with machine guns... They blocked the road and then called the IDF, which sided with them instead of the Americans," he added.

Cameron Kasky, an aide travelling with Congressman Ro Khanna, said the delegation was prevented from leaving for more than an hour. He added that the group contacted the US Embassy in Jerusalem for assistance before Israeli security forces arrived and intervened.

Israeli military responds

The Israeli military said it had received reports of Israeli civilians blocking vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta in the occupied West Bank. It stated that troops and police officers dispersed the settlers, allowing the vehicles to proceed. However, the military did not address Khanna's allegations about the conduct of Israeli security forces during the incident.

Notably, the Indian-American congressman is considering a run for the 2028 US presidential election. He said the trip had strengthened his resolve. "I'm strongly considering it, and I'm more resolved to consider it after this trip," he said