US Representative Ro Khanna Detained by Armed Israeli Settlers During West Bank Visit

When they arrived, the troops cleared the area of Israeli civilians and permitted the vehicles to proceed.

Khanna was touring the ruins of Khirbet Zanuta as part of a fact‑finding mission to assess the effects of the Israeli occupation of the region.

The father of two is reportedly considering a presidential campaign for 2028.

We were in a village that Israeli settlers had razed — both the school and the homes — when we witnessed the damage firsthand,” he explained.

They arrived with machine guns — M4 rifles, made in the United States — blocked the road and detained us, then contacted the IDF, which sided with the settlers rather than with us as Americans,” Khanna said.

While in custody, an aide accompanying Khanna appealed to the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for assistance, and they were eventually freed after police officers stepped in.

Since the 1967 Middle East conflict, Israel has constructed roughly 160 settlements that house about 700,000 Jewish residents on land claimed by Palestinians for a future state, alongside roughly 3.3 million Palestinians.

These settlements are deemed illegal under international law.

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