Senior US Democratic Representative Ro Khanna said Saturday that he was 'detained' along with other Americans by armed Israeli settlers during a visit to the occupied West Bank, accusing the Israeli military of complicity in the incident.

In a post on X, Khanna said: 'Israeli settlers, brandishing American-made M4s, detained me and other Americans during my trip to Palestine.'

He added that when Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene, 'they sided with the settlers and kept us detained. They made a huge mistake.'

Footage, supported by testimonies provided by Khanna and his team to The New York Times, shows a group of armed men blocking the road outside a small village in the southern West Bank and hurling insults at them in Hebrew and Arabic.

Israeli settlers, brandishing American made M4s, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine.

When the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers & continued our detention.

They made a huge mistake.

You will be hearing more soon. https://t.co/rZw8bRAn64 pic.twitter.com/4z50Ye4I7K

— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) July 11, 2026

The US lawmaker told the newspaper that when the Israeli military arrived at the scene, soldiers spoke to the settlers and then closed the road themselves after the settlers left.

Khanna added that he was allowed to pass after contacting the US embassy and Israeli police.

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Sky News Arabia monitors the reality of Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank.